Phoenix
by Iluvbeyblade
Summary: DISCONTINUED What happens if Black Dranzer's female, with a mind of her own? Kai has to choose between his newfound love, and a twisted passion that he's lusted after for too many years. KaiRay DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

This is my pitiful atempt at a Kai/Ray that isn't an AU. Hope you like it.

* * *

Kai winced at the sound of Tyson forgetting where the doorway was yet again, the boy's surprised yell hurting his gently throbbing head. He rolled his eyes and waited until the three younger boys had left for the canteen. He pushed at the half-closed door, then stepped inside.

He held out a hand to stop Ray from trying to get up and greet him, knowing from experience how tired the boy would be after a visit from Tyson. He sat down on a chair near the door, resting his head on his upright hand and closing his eyes for a brief second.

"Headache?" Kai looked up, shaking off the sudden drowziness that had crept up on him.

"A little," he answered shortly. "It's not bad. Put your mask back on and try to get some rest." He smirked as Ray complied, cursing him under his breath in Chinese. Kai didn't understand Chinese, but judging by the expression on Mariah's face when Ray had used those exact words in front of her, it was definitely obscene. "Did Tyson get your back up again?" he asked with another faint smirk. Ray shrugged, shifting round in the uncomfortable hospital bed until he was facing Kai.

"Not on purporse. It's just...he never seems to notice anything. I'm sure that Max has some kind of stomach bug, he looks awful, and Tyson just never seems to _see_. He just talks and talks...like he can talk away everything bad that's ever happened...all the arguments...all the pain..." His voice, which had been getting slower and sleepier by the second, trailed off, his eyes fluttering as he fought to stay awake. Kai walked up to him and knelt down so that Ray could see him properly.

"Ray, you know that if you're in any pain you just need to-"

"Press button...I know...I c'n take care...myself..." Ray's sleep-slurred voice trailed off again. Kai reached over and found the button, pushed as far away as Ray could reach. He hesitated, looking down at Ray, who gave him a look of tired resignation, and pressed it. As the morphine took effect, the tight, strained look on Ray's face disappeared. He let out a soft sigh, his breath misting up the inside of the oxygen mask.

"Thanks...Kai..." His eyes drifted shut, a little smile curving his lips.

Kai looked down at the injured blader, who was sleeping peacefully now. Almost of its own accord, his hand slipped from the button to hover over Ray's face. As if in a dream, he picked up a loose strand of long black hair and wound it round his finger, silently marvelling at its silkiness. He blinked, coming to his senses as Ray let out another soft sigh, moving towards the new source of warmth. He tore himself away, careful not to pull Ray's hair, furious with himself.

He had promised himself; no more giving in to these strange feelings when he was around Ray. It was unnatural, he should know that.

Oh yes, he should know _that_. His grandfather had taught him that, along with other useful titbits, like the most painful bone in the body to break, how to cause physical harn without touching his opponent... He would never do that again. Not after seeing what Bryan had done to Ray.

He sighed quietly and went back to the chair, resting his head on his folded arms and falling into a light doze.

He opened his eyes, wondering what had woken him. Then he heard a slight cough and realised. His senses were hyper-alert when he was asleep. Ray's waking would be enough to rouse him from his sleep.

"Are you all right?" Ray's slightly muffled voice asked him. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"It's fine." Kai assured him. He stood up, ignoring the renwed pounding in his temples.

"You didn't ask my question." Ray's sleep had obviously freshened him up. He was fully alert, his clear amber eyes boring into Kai. Kai looked away.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, and Tyson would walk straight past a buffet table!" Ray said in exasperation. Kai growled in frustration, mixed with an odd kind of pleasure that Ray cared.

"I've got a slight headache, all right? You satisfied?" he snapped. "I'm not the one stuck in a hospital bed, am I?"

_No, you're stuck inside your own head!_ Ray thought bitterly. They all knew that something was bothering Kai, even Tyson had noticed. _If you'd just tell me, Kai..._ he begged silently. _If you'd just open up, maybe I could help you...not that you'd ever accept my help..._

_You're too strong, Kai. You've spent years closing yourself off, until you've reached a point where no one can help you without you knowing about it. And you won't accept help, because that would mean showing weakness, the one thing that you won't do._

Kai saw the sudden look of sadness in Ray's eyes and gritted his teeth against the sudden urge to go over to him and "make it all better", as Max said when he was in a hyperactive mood.

_Make it all better? That's a joke._

_When has it ever been all better for me?_ He nodded at Ray in a cursory farewell and left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

R&R, please! 


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, here's the next chapter! By the way, this is rated M because there's hopefully going to be swearing, rape and mental disturbances in later chapters. _If _I write it right.

* * *

The blue beyblade skipped through the cold grey streets, taking every corner with ease. Kai yawned and recalled Dranzer to his hand. He stood still for a few minutes, not noticing the light drizzle that began to fall. He hadn't slept since he had started dozing in the hospital, four days ago. Ray was back with them now, more through sheer pleading than actually being ready to be discharged, and still needed to rest most of the time. Max had recovered from the violent stomach bug that Tyson had finally noticed when he couldn't get into the bathroom for five hours solid, although he was still feeling slightly shaky. So far so good, no one else had caught it yet. 

He yawned again, and started jogging in the direction of the hotel. Suddenly, someone ran past him, shoulder-barging him violently. He staggered, recovered, then spun around and swore loudly at them. As they disappeared round the corner, he swore again and prepared to walk on. His foot nudged against something and he looked down automatically.

His eyes widened. He tried to walk on, but he couldn't move, fixed to the spot. As he forcibly stopped himself from hyper-ventilating, his hand stretched out, ignoring his brain's frantic commands to pull away. His hand closed around the object and brought it to eye level.

Kai stared at the dark object for ten, long, unwillling seconds, fighting a fierce internal battle with himself. Slowly, a familiar feeling began to creep into his mind.

_Just once won't hurt, will it?_

_Just the once..._ He shivered, trying to tear himself away. Failing again, he watched as if it was someone else who loaded the new beyblade into his launcher and ripped the cord through with a violence he had almost forgotten.

_Almost...never quite...it had still haunted his dreams every night since he was eight._

His lips curved in a vicious smile and he recalled the beyblade to his hand, some inner instinct compelling him to keep Dranzer in his pocket. He turned on his heel and began to walk back to the hotel.

"Oh, Kai, I was looking for you! Listen, I was thinking-"

"I'm busy." Kenny blinked in surprise at Kai's curt tone, but recovered swiftly.

"I was just suggesting-"

"I'm busy, Kenny. What part of that don't you understand?" Kenny took a few steps back as Kai's eyes bored into him, a look of cold anger on his face. His ever-fertile brain started working furiously, turning up nothing. Unknown to him, he was shying away from the truth, rejecting it as an impossibility. He let out a sigh of relief as Kai turned away, going into his bedroom.

Kai smirked nastily. Kenny was so easy to intimidate it almost wasn't worth the time. Especially with what he was holding. Slowly, almost reverently, he drew the black beyblade from his pocket, staring at it.

Black Dranzer stared back. It seemed to Kai that the bit-beast's dark eyes gleamed with recognition.

The strongest bit-beast ever. The one that he had longed to posses for seven years was now in his grasp, and this time, there was no bothersome grandfather around to tell him what to do with it, no interfering brats around to persuade him away from it. He stood up and fitted it to his launcher.

"Go, Black Dranzer." he whispered, stroking the launcher lovingly.

Thin tendrils of black curled up from the bit-chip, forming into the shape so similar to Dranzer that for a second, Kai felt his resolve falter. It was stronger than Dranzer, he reminded himself. Stronger in every way, more powerful than anyone could imagine. And it was _his_. He blinked, aware of a change taking place in the dark phoenix.

The bit-beast disappeared in the midst of the thin tendrils again, Kai gritting his teeth against the feeling of power filling the room as the blackness vibrated and flashed with as many hues as he could name and some that he couldn't. Finally, it stopped. Out of the tendrils came a very different bit-beast.

A tall woman stalked over to Kai and stood in front of him. Their eyes locked. It was a vicious battle of wills, but Kai's will was stronger, energised by his desire to posses this bit-beast. It would not control him, he would control it. Slowly, the woman bent to one knee and bowed her head.

_For now._ she said silently.

"Hello, Master Kai." Her voice was sultry.

"Who are you?" Kai's voice was cold. The woman stood, allowing Kai to see her properly.

She was very tall, over a head taller than him. Her skin was dead white, the white of snow, of corpses. Straight black hair hung to her slim waist. She was wearing a long black dress that reached down to the floor, empathsing every perfect curve. Her eyes were black, with no pupil or iris.

In answer, she went over to the bed and sat down on it.

"You see, Master Kai," she began, beckoning for Kai to sit next to her. He narrowed his eyes and remained where he was, suspicious. She shrugged carelessly. "You see, every bit-beast has a human form. This is mine, that's all."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Kai asked flatly. She looked at him and gave a slow smile.

"You don't." she answered lightly. Suddenly, she stood up and walked over to him. Kai stared up at her, refusing to budge an inch. With another slow smile, she brought her head down and kissed him fiercely. Her lips were cool and soft, the touch of them intoxicating. Kai wrenched himself free, glaring up at her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"How dare you!" he hissed, fury making his body shake. Black Dranzer blinked, looking supremely unconcerned.

"Oh, come now, Kai." she said softly. "Don't tell me you've never been kissed before." She smirked. Kai bit back a gasp at how similar to his own smirk that had been. "Not with what your grandfather's like." Kai faced her, his iron-clad will boring into her.

"You will not do that again without my permission." he said quietly. "You are a bit-beast, Black Dranzer, you will obey me!" His voice rose to a commanding shout. Black Dranzer semed to shrink, walking back towards the beyblade that was lying on the floor. She look over her shoulder seductively, her legs already disappearing into little flashes of light, to be sucked into the beyblade.

"Call me Phoenix."

Her voice hung in the air long after she had gone. Kai shook his head to try and clear it, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Black Dranzer had a human form? He ran over the kiss in his mind, his whole body freezing when he realised that he was replacing the bit-beast with Ray. With an audible gasp, he tore his mind away. Walking over to the bedside cabinet, he reached into a drawer and took out a packet of sleeping pills. He wouldn't sleep without them, and he needed every sense alert if he was to control this new, more powerful Black Dranzer. Because she _was_ more powerful, without a doubt. Even as he had bent her to his will, he had felt her straining against him, trying to break free. He would have to be very careful.

Voltaire Hitwarti stared at the large glass tube, inside which a figure was forming. He gave a cold smile in greeting.

"Hello, Phoenix." The bit-beast nodded in acknowledgement. "How did it go?"

"Very well, my lord." Phoenix answered smoothly. "He can only just control me when he is at full strength. I should be able to...persuade him...quite soon."

"And how will you lower his strength?" Voltaire questioned.

"All I need to do is catch him when his guard is down, which should be relatively easy. He has become accustomed to worrying about his team mates. Also, I think that he feels something more for Driger's partner, Ray." Voltaire let out a hiss of anger and slammed his hand against the desk in front of him.

"Damn it! I am _not_ having my grandson turn into a faggot!" he swore.

"Like you? Oh, I forgot. You're not a poufder, you're a paedophile." Voltaire brought his head up sharply, his coldly furious glare telling Phoenix that she had gone too far. "I was just saying..." she murmured, averting her eyes in submission. If Kai's will was strong, his grandfather's was ten times more so, honed by decades of pratice.

"I think," Voltaire continued, discarding his anger, "that you are underestimating Kai. The boy doesn't change his mind easily." Phoenix laughed softly, starting to disappear again.

"Do you really think that he can resist me for long?" she whispered, her disembodied voice hanging in the air. Voltaire rubbed his knarled hands together excitedly. His plan was going perfectly.

Kai opened his eyes and lay still for a few minutes, groggy from his his heavy sleep. With a slight groan, he swung himself upright and got dressed swiftly. As he pulled his dark tank-top over his head, his eyes fell on the black beyblade, lying in the middle of the floor. He looked away, a slight feeling of unease enveloping him, a knowledge that he should not have done what he had done. He walked out of the room, needing to take his mind off the temptation to pull the ripcord again.

"Morning, Kai." Ray struggled upright in bed. Kai nodded absentmindedly as he sat down on the bed next to him. "How are you?" Ray asked.

"Fine." Kai answered curtly, slipping easily back into his usual pattern. "You?" Ray shrugged, then winced and stopped.

"A bit achy here and there, but I've been worse."

"That's good."

"Yeah." Kai could feel Ray looking curiously at him, wondering why he seemed so distracted. "Pass me my crutches, would you, Kai?" Kai obliged.

"Why?"

"Because I'm starving, and fed up of Tyson eating my breakfast before he reaches the door." Kai chuckled quietly and helped Ray up and into the crutches. As they walked towards the door, Ray's legs suddenly gave way beneath him and he fell. Kai caught him before he hit the ground.

"Are you all right?" he said softly, all too aware that they were less than four inches apart.

"Yeah..." Ray's reply was even softer. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Kai slowly brought his hand up to cup the side of Ray's face. Ray did nothing to resist, moving a little closer, as if in encouragement. Kai leaned forwards, closing the remaing gap between them and gently pressed his lips to Ray's. He pulled away almost instantly, memories of Phoenix bending down to kiss him flashing through his mind. He was soiled, dirty, he shouldn't be anywhere near Ray. He had been kissd by his own _bit-beast_, how disgusting was that? He stood up, pulling Ray with him.

"I'm sorry." he muttered. Ray looked at him, bewildered by the sudden change.

_Did he mean sorry for kissing me?_ Ray wondered. _If he knew how long I've wanted that for... _He reached for Kai again.

Kai moved away, steadying Ray with an outstretched hand. "I'm not worth you." he whispered. Confused, Ray reached out a hand mone last time, his eyes pleading.

"Kai, what's wrong?" Kai's face closed up, the barriers that they had all worked so hard at getting down pulled back up and as strong as ever.

"Nothing." he said curtly, turning away. "Enjoy your breakfast."

* * *

Oh, poor Ray! And poor Kai, of course, but this is nothing compared to what I've got in store for him! (grins evilly) 


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is far too long! Anyway, please review!

* * *

Kai pressed the rewind button. The beyblades jerked around wildly as the video rewound.

"Max, pay attention!" he snapped. The blond jumped a mile. "See here?" Kai gestured to Draciel, frozen on the scren in the act of deflecting an opponent's blade. "In the second when the blades collide, Draciel focuses all its defense on that one spot, forming the wall that's gained you your reputation." He smirked at Max's flush. "In theory, that's an excellent strategy, but there's always a chance that they could change direction at the last minute and attack the other, weakened sections of your beyblade." Max nodded to show that he understood.

"So what do I do if that happens?" he asked, frowning.

"You need to concentrate on keeping that defensive power spread all over your beyblade. It will mean that initially your overall power will suffer, but we can work on that."

"Brill. Thanks, Kai!"

"Whatever. All of you, just remember this. Your beyblades, your bit-beasts, they're only as strong as you are. Nobody's found a limit to their power. You set that limitation by how strong you are, how much you push yourself."

"So, basically you're saying that if we lose, it's our fault and not our bit-beasts?" Tyson asked, bored with the lecture. Kai sighed quietly. _Why do I bother?_

"Yes." he said finally. "Correct for once." Tyson scowled. He looked to one side, avoiding Kai's icy glare.

"Hey Ray, you okay, bud?" he said suddenly. Kai turned, noticing the unhealthy pallor of Ray's face. Ray glared irritably at Tyson.

"Leave it, Tyson. I'll live." he snapped.

"Go to bed, Ray. It's ten o'clock." Kai said curtly, turning away and pressing the eject button on the TV remote.

"No." Ray replied doggedly.

"Go to bed before I have to drag you there myself." Kai continued, idly throwing the TV remote up in the air and catching it. He knew what Ray wanted, he wanted Kai to look at him, to make a fuss like the others were, to show that he cared. _Well, fuck you, Ray. There's only one person I care about. And it isn't you. _He came out of his momentary trance to find himself alone in the lounge. Instantly, complusion wove its fingers into his thoughts. He slipped his hand inside his pocket and closed his hand around Dranzer, using the phoenix's warmth to combat it. Phoenix's voice entered his mind, teasing, seductive.

_I'm lonely, Kai. Won't you come and play?_

"I do not play. I battle." Kai muttered scornfully under his breath. "Children play. I am no child."

_Fine then, battle. I know you want to. How can you hope to wield true power without even giving it a little exercise?_

"Not here." Kai replied softly, the compulsion unbearable, clawing at him like a mad thing. "Wait just a moment." He stood up and walked out of the room, dropping Dranzer carelessly on the floor.

Kai ripped the launcher viciously, the harsh, grating sound only intensifying his need to see the bit-beast. In either form, he didn't care, all he wanted was a battle against something, anything. As though reading his thoughts, the bit-beast stayed in her phoenix form, dark flames flickering up and down her jet-black body. Power radiated off the mutated spirit. Kai took it in greedily, feeling it flood through his veins. He looked down at himself with a smirk, seeing the dark, blood red glow hanging in the air between them. He tipped his head back and drank the thick, cloying mist like a dying man. This was what Robert had been bleating on about before. Becoming one with your bit-beast.

"Of course, the fool never specified how far you can go." he murmured hoaresly. With a careless movement of his hand, he sent the midnight beyblade crashing into the wall of the hotel. Metal met mortar with a resounding crash. He gave the blade a few seconds to do as much damage as possible, then looked around for his next target. He spotted a large tree on the edge of the hotel drive. Faster than the human eye could follow, Black Dranzer sped over to it and buried herself in the trunk. While the beyblade's razor-sharp spikes bored into the tough bark, the phoenix flew into it repetatively, shrieking in defiance as she smashed into the broad trunk.

_Einstien would love this._ Kai mused. _Matter versus antimatter. _Black Dranzer was antimatter personfied. Pure, twisted evil, some would have referred to her only in whispers, and not without crossing themsevles. _Satan_'s _whore_.

"And she's all mine..." Kai whispered, shaking with the power building inside him. It intensified until every atom of his body was throbbing in time with the slow, steady throb. "_All **mine**_!"

Power burst out of him in the shout, shading the sky a pulsalating, ugly dark red, the colour of disease, of something horribly out of place. Black Dranzer's eyes gleamed and a triumphant shriek ripped through the air as black flames lit on her wings, burning the last of the tree away. Kai watched impassively as the tree plummeted towards him, filled with a feeling of calm invulnerability.

_What would hurt me now? What would **dare** to hurt me now?_

Pain flared down the side of his leg and there was a deafening crash as the blackened, tortured tree landed just to the side of him. Opening eyes he didn't remember closing, he looked emotionlessly down at the smoking corpse of what had been a living thing. Dismissing it, he turned his attention to his leg. His trouser leg was ripped to shreds, a thick trail of blood dripping down his calf from a deep slice just underneath his knee. He slid a finger down the sticky blood and licked it, tasting the coppery tang. It tasted like power. Like victory. Black Dranzer soared over to him and hovered just above ground level. He reached out and traced his hand lightly across the silky feathers, icy cold to the touch. Silently, he admired the contrast of his white skin on the obsidian feathers. As his hand dropped, the phoenix's form flickered and he felt the curve of a breast under his touch.

"Stay a phoenix." he ordered, his eyes flashing.

_What's the matter, Master Kai? Can't handle a little excitement?_

"I can handle anything you care to throw at me, Phoenix. Now obey me!" Energised by his few moments of control, angry by her blatant advance, he easily overpowered her, forcing her to disappear back into the imprisoning beyblade.

Kai bent down and scooped the motionless beyblade into the palm of his hand. With a swift glance around, he turned and walked back inside, not even noticing the burning pain shooting up his leg.

Kai strode down the corridor towards his bedroom. Shutting the door and double-locking it, he pulled Black Dranzer out of his pocket and stared at it. An unsettling feeling of guilt settled over him, warring with the vicious thrill left over from his "little exercise". He looked at the clock and was shocked to see that it was nearly one o'clock in the morning, nearly three hours later than when he had left to take up Phoenix's challenge.

Thunder crashed outside. Lightning blazed through the rom, lighting it with an eerie glow for a few seconds. His ears, used to the silence by now, picked up a faint cry with ease. Then another, and another, the last the most frightened of them all. He quickly put names to the cries. Max and Kenny were both awake, and by the nearness of their voices, in the same room, presumably Tyson's, shivering with fright. The thought of their plight invoked only a vague feeling of pity, and a feeling that he didn't want to examine too closely. Something like gleeful malice.

The third cry came again. His brain, strangely sluggish, finally put a name to the sound. Before that name had left his lips, he had hurtled off his bed and left the room, going towards another bedroom with far more than usual haste. Black Dranzer lay abandoned on the floor.

"Ray..."

He put his head round the door. Ray was thrashing restlessly from side to side, his face twisted with pain and fear. His eyelids flickered, refusing to stay open for more than a second each time. Kai swore softly, knowing why Ray wasn't waking up. In order to make him sleep at all, the others had clearly drugged him up with the strong sleeping pills that he had been given, leaving him unable to wake fully, floating in a terrifying limbo world filled with the sound of the one thing that he feared above all else. Thunderstorms. As if to confirm this, Ray cried out again, half moan, half scream. Before his brain caught up with the rest of him, Kai went over to the bed and, sitting on it, embraced the terrified boy, holding him tightly.

"Hush, Ray, hush now, it's just a storm... Nothing to be afraid of..." He pulled Ray to him, rocking him soothingly, murmuring comforting words that he didn't realise he knew how to say. The semi-conscious blader calmed, relaxing against Kai, his head finding a comfortable place on Kai's chest to act as a pillow. Thunder crashed. Ray tensed, stirring fretfully. Kai placed a hand on his exertion-warmed forehead and firmly pushed the sweat-damp strands of loose hair away from his face and mouth. "Hush, Ray. Hush...it's okay...you're safe now..." He touched his lips softly to Ray's forehead, rubbing calming circles on the boy's back. Ray's rapid, panicked breathing slowed gradually and he sagged into Kai's strong grip. Carefully, Kai began to lower Ray back down to his bed. Strange feelings were flooding through him as he looked at the boy's wan face, feelings of protectiveness and - and...love?

What was love? He had no idea, and it scared him. He hated being unsure about anything, it smacked of losing control. He must never lose control. Ever.

Ray jolted him from his thoughts by his fist suddenly closing on a handful of Kai's top, preventing Kai from putting him back onto the bed without moving down himself. A thought flashed into Kai's mind. He had given himself up to one temptation tonight. Why not another? The sleeping pills wouldn't release their hold on Ray for hours yet. His hand closed over Ray's, gently loosening the weak hold. He lay down beside him, embracing him gently. Thunder boomed again. The storm was moving away, but it still had the power to make Ray cry out, his breathing becoming harsh, erratic. Kai's hands caressed Ray's face, trying helplessly to calm the scared boy.

"Ray, it's okay..." he whispered almost urgently. "Please don't be scared..." He leaned forwards and kissed Ray tentatively, marvelling at the softness of Ray's lips. "Hush..." he murmured, pulling away for a second, before moving in again, gently teasing Ray's unresisting mouth open. "Don't cry...I'm here..." He kissed him again, gently, nervously, again and again. "Please don't cry..." He kissed him one final time, then disengaged himself from Ray's slackened grip and sat up. He ran a finger over his lips, imagining that he could still taste Ray, his head spinning slowly.

He felt..._clean_. Innocent again, for the first time in years. Slowly, staggering slightly, he got up, casting one last, longing look towards the now-sleeping blader and stumbled out of the room.

He stripped to his boxers and collapsed in bed. Within seconds, he had fallen deeply asleep. For the first time that he could remember, he had a faint smile on his lips.

Yawning, Tyson rolled over, opening his eyes and looking blearily around the room. His eyes fell on the rug in the middle of the room.

Max and Kenny were curled up in identical balls, their hands pressed to their ears even in sleep. Tyson blinked and sat up, running a hand through his thick navy hair and wincing at the tangles, wondering whether to wake them up or not. He decided against. _They probably didn't get much sleep last night,_ he thought. _It looks like it was a big storm. They don't normally both come in here, or stay all night. Yeah, I'll let 'em have a kip_. He scrambled out of bed and started hunting around for his clothes. Unable to find his yellow T-shirt, he settled for a white polo shirt instead. Leaving the tedious business of washing until he'd satisfied his stomach's call, he went out of the room, heading for the kitchen.

Three-quarters of the way down the corridor, he stopped and listened. Something didn't feel right. He stayed perfectly still for over five minutes, trying to work out what was causing this uneasy feeling currently consuming him. Eventually, he shrugged. No one else was up, as far as he could tell. It was probably the fact that he was the first one to wake up, for the first time since they had become a team. It was bound to feel strange. Satisfied by this explanation, he shook himself to get rid of any lingering doubts and went into the kitchen. Grumbling as he remembered that neither Ray nor Kai were in a position to make breakfast, he opened a cupboard and took out a packet of Coco-Pops. Ripping it open, he wandered into the living room and turned on the TV to watch yet another replay of his and Kai's match. None of them liked watching Ray's battle, it was too distressing. Knowing that it had all been happening just a few feet away and you could do nothing to stop it, you just had to watch as one of your team mates was torn to shreds by a homicidal maniac... Tyson concentrated hard on the TV, stuffing a handful of the chocolatey cereal into his mouth to block out the unwanted thoughts. All of them had experienced nightmares reliving that battle, even Kai. Suddenly, he noticed Dranzer, lying on the floor approximately where Kai had sat yesterday evening. _Odd,_ he thought distractedly. _Kai never leaves Dranzer, not since he got him back. After my successful win..._ With a gleeful smirk, he fast-forwarded to his match and sat back with a pleased sigh, the mystery of Kai's unusual carelessness forgotten.

An hour later, he was flicking aimlessly through the channels and trying to remember how to turn on the English subtitles, when a loud curse echoed through the empty rooms. Tyson grinned. _Okay, Kai's awake. Better go and see why he yelled. Even if I'm just going to get told to go away. And that's if he's being polite_.

"Kai? You okay in there, pal?" he asked softly, poking his head round the door nervously. There was a loud scuffling noise.

"Fine, Tyson. I cut my leg last night, and I've only just realised. That's all."

"You sure?" Tyson pushed the door a little more and came further in, still not daring to go completely inside.

"Quite sure." Kai was sitting on his bed, grimacing slightly as he dabbed at a nasty-looking wound with a ball of cotton wool and some antiseptic. He gave Tyson a slight smile. Tyson blinked, taken aback by this unusual show of friendship.

"Did you have a good sleep last night?" he asked hesitantly.

"I didn't actually get to sleep until aout half past one, but yes, a very good sleep." Kai replied, an almost wistful smile on his face. "Is anyone else up?" Tyson shook his head.

"Nope. Kenny and Max are sleeping off a thunderstorm and the amount of pills we had to give Ray, he'll be asleep until lunchtime. Mm...lunch..."

"You're having breakfast, Tyson!"

"So? You never heard of brunch?" His mind occupied by the enticing thought of more food, Tyson headed back to the kitchen.

An exclamation of surprise from halfway down the corridor told Kai that Kenny and Max were up. Hearing the three boys go into the kitchen, Kai relaxed fractionally. He had just remembered that Dranzer would still be in the lounge.

_Why do you care?_ Phonix inquired from inside her beyblade, which was under the bed. That had been the scuffling noise Tyson had heard. _He is nothing to you_. Kai ignored her, with an effort, and stood up shakily. If they saw Dranzer... Shuddering at the implications, he hurried out and collected his estranged bit-beast, dropping it into his pocket. He returned to his room to think, of which he had a lot to do.

Phoenix shimmered into life inside the glass tube. She met Voltaire's furious gaze coolly, not about to be indimidated by this old buffoon.

"Phoenix!" the old man roared, his face reddening with anger. "Explain this...fiasco!" Phoenix crossed her arms and waited until he had regained his usual colour before speaking.

"Fiasco, sir? I think that it went quite well." Intriguied despite himself, Voltaire stepped closer.

"How so?" he enquired.

"I proved that when he uses me, he forgets about everything else. Time, bodily harm, all of it pales in comparison to the buzz he gets from seeing me destroy something-"

"Yes, yes, enough preening!" Voltaire ordered. "That's all well and good, but explain what happened afterwards!" He was shaking with outrage, furious that his grandson should debase himself to that extent. Phoenix shrugged, beginning to dissolve into thousands of glittering strands again..

"I haven't gained as much control as I previously thought. He will come to me eventually." she said, with utmost confidence. "Count on it. After all, he has already renounced Dranzer."

"Oh, I will." Voltaire growled to thin air. "Kai, I _will_ possess you again."

Kai looked idly at the clock, and for the second time in two days, was shocked to see how many hours had passed. It was nearly three o'clock in the afternoon. He stood up, swaying slightly as his blood rushed back to its proper places and still more of it trickled out the hole in his leg. He waited until he felt less dizzy, then went to see if Ray was all right. _No, _he corrected himself, _you've gone to see if he wants you to kiss him again, because it helps you get rid of the craving to see Phoenix that you know you shouldn't have_.

He looked round the door. Ray was sitting up, his legs over the side of his bed, and struggling to get into his crutches. He looked up and saw Kai. A brief smile fluttered across his face, which faded as he caught sight of the still bleeding wound on Kai's leg.

"Kai, your leg! Are you all right?" he asked, pushing himself upright with a grimace. Kai resisted the temptation to move forwards and hold him steady, letting a smile creep onto his own features in greeting.

"I'm fine." he answered dismissevely. "Cut myself last night, that's all. How are you?"

"_Last night_! And it's still bleeding!" Ray exclaimed, alarm flashing in his eyes. "How on earth-"

"Never mind about me." Kai said sharply. "How are you feeling?"

Ray shrugged. He felt drained, exhausted, hopelessly on edge, and unable to get a particular dream out of his head.

"I'll live. Was there a storm last night?" he asked curiously. That had featured in his dream a lot, the first part had been more like a nightmare. Trapped in a paralysing grey cloud, unable to do anything to make the fear less... He swayed and lost his balance, falling back onto his bed with a thump.

"Yes...yes, there was." Kai answered him slowly. The older blader moved closer and looked at Ray, worry evident in his crimson eyes. "Did it frighten you?" Ray nodded, but absentmindedly, his mind fast-forwarding to the next part of the dream.

There had suddenly been comforting arms round him, a familiar voice murmuring soothingly, calming him. Then more thunder, and a feeling as though someone had kissed him lightly on the forehead. Then the biggest thunder crash of them all, and someone had kissed him over and over again, banishing his fear to the furthest corner of his mind.

Considering the only person he had imagined being kissed by recently, he had presumeably been dreaming about Kai. He blushed at the realisation that he was in the same room as his crush. He gasped despite himself as Kai's hand rested lightly on his forehead, triggering more detailed memories from the dream.

"Are you okay, Ray?" Kai asked quietly, sitting down next to him. "You're flushed." _Is it any wonder?_ Ray asked silently.

"I'm fine." he managed to reply. Kai obligingly removed his hand. Ray couldn't prevent a shiver as Kai's fingertips brushed lightly against his cheek.

"Are you sure?" He nodded. He was fine, just suffering from a large case of embarrassing desire... "You don't look fine."

"Yeah...you're a fine one to talk!" Ray exclaimed, delighted to have found something sensible to say. "How much blood do you reckon you've lost?" Kai shrugged, taking his eyes away from Ray for one blissful moment. Ray breathed a relieved sigh and set about collecting the shreds of his composure. "Quite a lot, I'd say." he remarked, looking around the room in a bid to avoid Kai's tempting gaze. Suddenly, he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He turned and stared at the large patch of blood on his duvet. He looked quickly from Kai to the blood and back, silently working out proportions. A conclusion reached, he stared at Kai in amazement. Kai stared back.

"What?" Ray felt even more light-headed than before.

"You were...you were in here last night, weren't you?" he whispered. Kai nodded once. Ray put a hand on the bed behind him to prevent himself from fainting. Kai reachd out and laid a hand on his bare arm, concern flashing in his eyes. "Did you...you know...kiss me?" he stammered, blushing bright red. Kai nodded again.

"Is that a problem?" he asked, his hand sliding down to rest on top of Ray's. Ray shook his head hurriedly. Slowly, nervously, his hand gripped Kai's.

"Not at all." he whispered faintly, staring at Kai like a trapped rabbit.

"Good." Kai whispered back. He raised their clasped hands to his mouth and kissed Ray's tanned fingers gently, never taking his eyes from Ray. Ray freed his hand and reached up to twirl a loose strand of Kai's hair around his fingers, shifting continually closer. He leaned his head on Kai's shoulder for a moment, then kissed his neck lightly and moved away. They were only millimetres away from each other. As if on a signal, they leaned forwards in unison and kissed, nervously at first, then fiercer, pressing against each other as the kiss intensified. Ray stiffened in surprise as he felt Kai's tongue dip into his open mouth. Kai pulled away for a split second. "Lie down." he panted, already pulling Ray down with him. Obediently, Ray lay down, using the brief respite to pull Kai closer to him. As they kissed again, he trapped Kai's probing tongue between his teeth, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Nipping slightly, he slipped one hand under Kai's tight tank top. In response, Kai reached over and stripped him of the baggy T-shirt that, along with boxers, was all he ever wore nowadays. A thrill ran through him as he saw the possessive glint in Kai's eyes.

"Kai..." he breathed, closing his eyes in bliss as Kai deepened their kiss even further.

"You're beautiful, Ray." Kai murmured, his breath hot against Ray's face. The two of them regarded each other through half closed eyes. "Do you know that? So, so beautiful..."

Two hours later, Kai kissed Ray one last time, playing almost absentmindedly with his long, wavy black hair. Ray murmured with sleepy pleasure and buried his head in Kai's neck, both arms wrapped loosely around Kai's waist. Slowly, Kai sat up. Ray whimpered at his sudden absense, his eyelids flickering.

"Ssh," Kai murmured, rubbing Ray's arm soothingly. "You need to rest."

"No...don't...leave me..." Kai blinked. Somebody actually...needed him? He...why...but...how...that had never happened before. Ever. Against his better judgement, he lay back down and cradled Ray, who was almost asleep, in his arms. He rested his forehead against Ray's.

"I'm here, Ray." he said softly. "Go to sleep, okay? You're tired." Ray frowned weakly.

"Not...ti-" Kai silenced him by capturing his mouth in a slow, lingering kiss.

"_Very_ tired." he whispered sternly. Ray made one last feeble moan of protest, then gave up, curling into a ball and snuggling into Kai like a sleepy child.

"Kai..." was his last word before he fell deeply asleep. Kai stayed still for nearly ten minutes, making sure that Ray was completely dead to the world. Gradually, he sat up again. Fighting down a wave of dizziness, he contemplated the events of the past few hours. They had gone no further than removing each other's tops, although there had been a few times when both sets of hands had gone to waistbands of boxers. Ray had restrained himself because Kai had. Kai had restrained himself...for a number of reasons. Number one, he didn't want to tire Ray out completely. As it was, he would be fine by tomorrow. Number two, he didn't know if Ray was ready yet. Number three...there was still a nagging feeling of guilt inside him, for flouting the one rule that his grandfather had made absolute. Number four... he edged round it for a few seconds, then forcibly shoved it to the back of his mind. Number four no longer existed. He stood up unsteadily and inspected his leg. The blood was finally clotting. Relief only added to his general feeling of weakness and lightheadedness. He staggered back to his room and collapsed on the bed. Too weak to fight the compulsion that suddenly came upon him, he waved a hand weakly in assent.

"Come on, then. But...let me shut the door first." He got up and tried to walk the few steps to the door. But the room was tipping like the deck of a boat, his legs felt like rubber, or jelly and he felt so...weak... Head spinning, he only vaguely felt the floor come up to meet him.

He opened his eyes with difficulty.

"Hello, Kai." Phoenix breathed into his ear. "I hope you're feeling better." Kai raised his head and glared at her from his undignified position on the floor.

"What I do is none of your business, Phoenix." he said icily. Phoenix smiled and shifted closer.

"Now, Kai, that's where you're wrong..." she purred. "If you were doing things that might mean that you couldn't control me anymore...well, that _would_ be my business." Her dress was suddenly much shorter. "Because then..." She leaned over him, her expression hungry. "...I could do what I wanted." She picked up his limp, unresisting hand and drew it lightly across her groin, then bent down and kissed him. Her lips were icy cold. "Exactly what I wanted." Delicately, she undid the zip on his trousers, then eased his tank top off. Groggily, he pushed himself upright, away from her.

"Get away from me!" he ordered, sheer adrenaline giving his voice strength.

"Too little, too late, little Kai." With a predatory smile, Phoenix reached out and traced her fingers around his form. She snapped her fingers. Her dress disappeared, and so did reality. "Much too late..."

* * *

Ooh, a cliffhanger! Opinions, please. Should I write about what happens between him and Phoenix? And what about poor little Ray?

Please, please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I'm not too sure about this chapter. It seems a bit...pointless. Oh well, on with the fic!

* * *

Kai watched as Phoenix moved to lie on top of him, her skin icy-cold to the touch. He felt numb. This had been a long time in coming. He had sensed it from the very beginning all those years ago, known that one day she would catch him off guard. He shivered as her cold lips brushed against his bare chest. What did it matter, anyway? A slight smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth. If they joined phsycially, their minds would also merge, giving him full control over her at last. Heat ran through him at the thought. Seven years he had been waiting for that. Control. Absolute, utter control over the strongest bit-beast that the world had ever known. Did she even realise that? Or was she too obbssed with crowing over her own cleverness... He met her gaze confidently. Weak from blood loss he might be, but no one and nothing would ever get the better of Kai Hitwatari. He was in control.

_Stupid boy_, Phoenix thought almost fondly. _Doesn't he know that I worked him out a long time ago? He thinks that he can control me, he's oozing with confidence_. _Pity I'm about to shatter it. Voltaire's order's, Kai. Nothing...personal_.

Kai caught his breath as Phoenix kissed him fiercely, demandingly. His head began to spin. Unable to resist, unable to react, he lay motionless, struggling to stay conscious as the kiss grew hotter, harder, _intrusive_... With an effort, he pulled his aching, spinning head away and took a quick breath.

"Oh no you don't," a voice purred in his ear. "You wanted me, Kai. Now you've got me."

"I want you...on my terms!" Kai whispered, trying to sound angry through the thick blanket of weariness that had wrapped itself tightly around him.

"What, so now you don't want me?" A gentle hold on his wrist suddenly intensified. He gasped in pain. "Then I'll just_ take _you!" The previously cool, seductive voice was now wild, ferocious, menancing. Two hands pushed inside his boxers and began to rouse him with hard, brutal pulls. "Your grandfather did once say that you liked it rough, after all." Phoenix added as an afterthought. Kai opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out. _No,_ his brain was screaming, _he raped me until the only way to arousal that I knew was by brute force!_ With the last of his energy, he let out a thin cry, then closed his eyes, all his fight gone. Just before his eyes closed, he saw the blood-red mist creep up, fitting around him like a second skin. Slowly, the familiar feeling of power rose up inside him, taking him over. Cracking one eye open a slit, he saw Phoenix preparing to thrust herself onto him. Literally. He smiled, past caring. He had the power. Let the bitch do what she liked. As long as he felt like this, nothing and nobody mattered. _Nothing and nobody..._

_Ray..._

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Kai, bud? You okay in there?" In an instant, Phoenix disappeared, suddenly nothing more than a streak of black racing for her beyblade, which was still under the bed. "Kai?" Through a rapidly spreading blackness, Kai saw Tyson open the door and gape down at him. One corner of his mouth crooked up in a grotesque parody of a grin and he gratefully passed out.

"Kai? Kai, can you hear me?" Kai moaned softly and moved closer to the hand that was gently caressing his cheek. Slowly, he managed to open his eyes, to see Ray looking worriedly down at him. "It's okay, Kai. Don't try to talk for a bit. You're still really tired." Kai bristled inwardly. _How dare he tell me how I'm feeling? _Ray smiled faintly. "Yeah, I know. I've got no right to tell you how to feel." He chuckled softly, brushing a loose strand of hair out of his eyes. "Trust me on this, okay?" Kai closed his eyes again, enjoying the feeling of Ray being so close to him, Ray's warm hand lightly stroking his cold cheek. A black pit yawned in front of him and he fell into it

Ray got up stiffly and hobbled outside and down the corridor, where the rest of the team and Mr Dickenson were waiting.

"He woke up for a few seconds, but he's asleep now." he reported, struggling to keep himself from blushing at his recent close proximity to Kai. The other four nodded. Unbidden, a thought strayed into Ray's mind, making him chuckle softly.

"What's so funny?" Tyson asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, nothing." Ray said airily, his mind floating back a few hours.

_Ray stopped outside Kai's door, hearing the unusual sound of Tyson's voice coming from inside._

_"Um...right, um, help, what do I do now? DRABC, that's it! Oh yeah, go me... Right...D stands for Danger, which means "check the surround area for danger". The only danger in here's right in front of me. If he wakes up, I am so screwed... 'I don't need your help, Tyson!' and so on and so on. Well, sorry Mr Sourpuss, but you're just gonna have to get over it! R stands for Response which means...check person for response by calling their name and/or patting their shoulder. Yeah, right. Like I'm ever going to actually touch him! He'd rip my head off! And if he hasn't heard me talking up 'til now, then he isn't going to! A stands for Airway...oh god...I can't skip this bit...Okay, tip Kai's head up with ONE finger, less contact, less grounds for potential murder later. B stands for Breathing. Yeah right, if he wasn't breathing, he'd be going blue. I am not going any closer to him than an arm's length. C stands for Circulation. I can see his cirulation's just fine, most of it's coming out his leg! Oh damn...I should do something about that...what?" _

_Taking pity on Tyson - and light-headed from holding in his laughter - Ray stepped into the room, only to be confronted with a deathly pale, unconscious and bleeding Kai._

"Nothing." Ray repeated, sobered up by the recollection of the dread that had landed like a lead weight in his stomach. Unconvinced, Tyson pulled a sulky face and stuck his tongue out at Ray.

"Tyson, grow up!" Kenny snapped. Tyson blinked, taken aback by the unusual fierceness from the little genius.

"Okay, Kenny. Chill, already." he said peaceably. Somewhat pacified, Kenny turned away slightly and continued hacking into the hospital computer, trying to get the information on Kai that the hospital was being annoyingly slow in giving them.

"Ah!" Recognising the triumphant exclamation, everyone clustered around Kenny. Mr Dickenson, who had deliberately turned a blind eye to the highly illgeal activity being commited right in front of him, was no less eager than the rest. "Okay... Kai's file...gotcha! Right, Kai's suffered some pretty major blood loss, but that looks like all of it...wait, there's more!" Everyone waited (im)patiently for Kenny to tell them. "Dammit, no...damn...stupid..." Interrupting the infuriated monolouge, Max waved a hand in front of Kenny's face.

"Earth to Kenny! What's the problem?" Kenny looked up fleetingly, his mouth set in a grim line.

"Later, Max. I'm not letting some stupid little security system beat me..." He sat down in the middle of the corrior, frowning in irritated concentration. Ten minutes later, Max nudged the boy urgently, seeing a nurse approaching them purposefully.

"Kenny!" Tyson hissed when Kenny didn't react, kicking him sharply. "Shut that down!" Instantly, Kenny closed the laptop. The nurse stopped in front of them, barely even glancing at the boys.

"Mr Dickenson?" The man in question nodded. "May I have a word, please?"

"Of course." The nurse nodded briskly and motioned for the old man to follow her a short distance away. With a warning glance at the four boys, Mr Dickenson walked over to her. Ray strained his acute hearing, but only managed to pick up a few words here and there.

"Fifteen year-old boy...blood loss...left alone recently? Strictest confidence, sir...we suspect..." Then suddenly, easily audible to the people on the other side of the hospital let alone the four boys standing nearby, Mr Dickenson's startled outburst.

"You must be mistaken!" The blood ran cold in Ray's veins, and judging by the expression on the other's faces, they felt much the same.

Suddenly, inexplicably terrified.

Mr Dickenson came over, his face pale. He suddenly looked every year of his age.

"Boys..." His voice shook and trailed off. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Boys, I don't even know if I should be telling you this, but..."

"But what?" Tyson burst out impatiently, his voice quivering. "Spit it out!" Glaring at the impudent thirteen year-old, Mr Dickenson complied.

"They suspect that Kai... They think that Kai has been raped." he said in a rush. Stunned silence greeted his words.

Slowly, Kai came back to consciousness. Shifting his position slightly, he let out a low hiss of annoyance at the discovery of Ray's absence. Old habits quickly reasserted themselves, though, and he pushed the thought out of his head. He didn't need him, he didn't need _anyone_. Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times, refocusing his vision. The friendly face of a woman floated into his line of sight. She looked about forty-odd, her lined face framed by a mass of brown ringlets.

"Hello, Kai. Glad you're awake." she said cheerfully. He eyed her suspiciously. No one was ever cheerful around him, not for long, anyway. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" He shrugged. What did he care? He took stock of his surroundings. Hard bed...endless sterile whiteness...stink of disinfectant...whatever he was wearing rustled when he moved... he was in a hospital. Wait, how did he get here? "You passed out in your room, Kai. Your friends brought you in." That was that solved, then. _They're not my friends! _part of him insisted. "Could you tell me what you were doing in there?"

"None of your business." Kai said flatly. The woman paused, then changed tacks.

"Okay then, Kai. I know that this is a personal question, but are you sexually active?" Something clicked in Kai's head. They thought he'd been raped. They were wrong. He remembered it now, as clear as day, Phoenix lying on him, him lying motionless, helpless. But she hadn't penetrated him, of that he was sure. Tyson had come in at just the right moment. Or wrong, depending on your point of view. He swore mentally as he realised that he hadn't answered her question.

"Yes." The woman frowned.

"How long have you been sexually active?" Kai shrugged. "Don't be ashamed of it."

"I'm not." He allowed a little scorn to creep into his voice. As she scrabbled around for a different angle, he struggled to push himself into a sitting positon. He didn't want to deal with this lying down like a pathetic child. A wave of dizziness swamped him, but it quickly passed.

"When was the first time that you remember having any kind of sexual intercourse?" He shrugged again. As if he was going to know! He'd only just started getting his memories back, for fuck's sake! Earlier than she wanted to hear, that was for sure. "Was there ever a time when adults seemed overly interested in you?" He couldn't suppress a snort of laughter. First they suspected rape, now they were asking about paedophilia! What next? Incest? He laughed properly this time, a sour, bitter noise.

"I don't remember." he answered truthfully.

"You know that there's no need to lie to me, Kai. No one can hurt you in here." He bit his lip to hold back his rising temper. Foolish woman. Everyone could be hurt anywhere.

"I'm not lying." he gritted out through clenched teeth. His head was pounding like a drum.

"We think you've been raped, Kai-"

"Well then, you think wrong! Now leave me alone!"

"Remember, you don't need to lie to us-"

"_I'm not lying_!" he shouted, wincing at the increased pain in his head. Clearly unconvinced, the woman stood up.

"All right, Kai. I'll come back when you feel in a more co-operative mood." _You do that,_ Kai thought savagely. _You just do that, bitch_. As she closed the door, he lay back down, silently fuming.

A crutch slipped from Ray's suddenly limp grasp and landed with a crash on the floor. He swayed, barely noticing as Max and Tyson grabbed his arms and steadied him, their faces pale. _Kai, no...it can't be true... _He shook himself free of the younger boy's grip. _They've made a mistake..._

"Let me see him!" he demanded, his voice none the less angry because of the way it was shaking. Mr Dickenson slowly shook his head, his plump face pitying. "I said _let me see him_!" Ray yelled, his entire body quivering. Vaguely, he was aware of the three younger boys eyeing him uneasily. The nurse who had delivered the news stepped forwards.

"I'm sorry, young man, but that isn't possible at the moment-"

"Did I ask your opinion?" Ray spat.

Tyson stared in shock at Ray. The boy was trembling uncontrollably, his face ashen under his tan. His pupils were thin black slits in his wide eyes, his teeth bared in a grimace of rage and horror. _Who blames him, though?_ Tyson asked himself, shivering. _He's always been closer to Kai than the rest of us. And to find out...this! _He shivered again, and felt Max hug him comfortingly. He reached out one arm to Kenny and the three of them huddled in a little ball of shock, watching the remaining team member lash out at anything and everything in his distress.

"You're wrong!" Ray yelled, turning on his heel and hobbling awkwardly towards Kai's room. Ungraciously, he grabbed his other crutch from Max. "You've made a mistake!" Mr Dickenson's hand closed around his arm. He writhed furiously, but the old man had a grip far stronger than one panicked, injured teenager.

"Ray," Mr Dickenson said soothingly. "The reason that you can't go in there at the moment is that there's someone in there with Kai, asking him some questions. Then, when they come out, they'll want to talk to all of you as well. Just wait a little while, all right?" Ray nodded distractedly, patiently waiting for Mr Dickenson's grip on his arm to diminish. Suddenly, Kai's door opened and a brown-haired woman came out, her lips pressed together in a thin line. Seeing his chance, Ray tore free of the BBA chairman's grip and ran as quickly as he could into Kai's room.

Hearing the door slam, Kai opened his eyes and rolled over to face the doorway, preparing to give that interfering cow a piece of his mind. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Ray, panting and wild-looking, peering anxiously through the door.

"Good, they're not coming after me." he heard him mumble.

"Ray?" Ray turned instantly, overbalancing slightly. His eyes were wide, furious, yet somehow unreadable.

"Kai." Ray replied stiffly. He moved to within an arm's reach of the bed. Suddenly, all his angry defences fell down. Tears glittered in the corner of his eyes, his eyes begged silently with the older boy. "Tell me they've got it wrong." he pleaded, his voice quaking dangerously. Kai fought to keep his own icy exterior up.

"They got it wrong." he said tonelessly. Ray's posture slumped, his knees buckling with relief. "Sit down before you faint." Kai said grudgingly, allowing a little concern to seep past his barriers. Obediently, Ray sank down onto the bed and put his head in his hands.

"I knew it." he whispered tiredly. "I _knew_ it!" Kai felt compassion welling up inside him, squashed it down with anger.

"Oh, so you think you know me, do you?" Surprised, Ray opened his mouth to respond, but Kai cut in, afraid of what he might hear, desperately shoring up his crumbling walls of defence. "You thought that you were the first, huh?" Anger flashed through Ray's weary eyes.

"I never-"

"What if I told you the truth? They were wrong this time. And they were wrong every other time, when they should have been right!" Ray frowned as he tried to puzzle this statement out. Kai subsided, waiting for it to click. He didn't want to hurt Ray as he knew he was, but if he let his barriers down now, he was afraid he'd never stop screaming. Memories were slotting themselves into place even as he spoke, dark memories, from before the Bladebreakers, before Black Dranzer, cruel laughter, icy coldness, and so much pain...

"You've been raped before?" Ray jolted him out of his haunting thoughts.

"Oh, well done, Kon. Took you long enough!" Kai snarled in response. Ray's face twitched.

"There's no need to be so-" He broke off, a thought forming in his brain. His expression softened. "There's no need to be afraid." he whispered, meeting Kai's hostile glare full on. Kai snorted and turned his head away.

"I'm not afraid!" he shot back, lying through his teeth.

"Now you're lying." Ray replied calmly. Kai brought his head back round so fast his neck clicked painfully.

"I'm not lying." he said feebly, in a tone that wouldn't have convinced Kenny, let alone Ray at this close quarters.

"Of course you're not." Ray said soothingly. Tentatively, he reached out and placed a hand lightly on Kai's cold arm, rubbing gently. Kai didn't react, his eyes fixed on Ray's face. "Of course you're not." Ray murmured. He stayed in that position for a few minutes, before speaking again, his voice soft. "You don't want to think about it?" Slowly, Kai shook his head a fraction. "Well, you don't have to. Think about something else instead." His hand moved up Kai's arm. The corner of Kai's mouth twitched upward.

"Are you coming onto me?" he asked, a faint trace of amusement in his voice.

"Yes." Ray replied unashamedly, his eyes bright with laughter and wanting. "Are you taking me?" Kai stayed silent for a few seconds, then brushed aside his doubts for the minute.

"Yes." he replied, pulling Ray down onto the bed next to him and kissing him fiercely. Ray responded eagerly, tangling his fingers in Kai's hair.

Kai lost himself in a world of Ray's touch, Ray's voice, Ray's kissess. _He was right,_ he thought dazedly. _I don't have to think about it_. He smiled to himself. _I've got something much better to think about_.

The hospital had to let him out in the end. He flatly refused to say anymore than what he had already said, and when the rest of the boys hadn't been able to add anything towards the rape theory, they had had no other choice. He was welcomed back warily, even Ray couldn't forget what Kai had told him.

Phoenix sat in her beyblade under Kai's bed and smirked Kai's smirk. The plan was still perfectly on schedule.

* * *

I've justre-read chapter 3, and there are so many stupid mistakes on it! It's because WordPad doesn't have spellchecker... if anyone sees any mistakes here, please tell me! Also, I'm taking a vote.

Should I make Tyson and Max (or just one of them) "realise their feelings"? Ie, try some Tyson/Max. Anyway, vote in your reviewplease, and I hope you liked this chapter


	5. Chapter 5

Things should start getting more interesting from here on! Although I'm still not sure where it's going... Ah well, I'll figure something out.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Right, Max, Ray, you two ready?" The two boys nodded. It was Ray's first beybattle in over a month, and the familiar contours of Driger felt strange in his hand, his launching stance uncertain. Although that could be because he was still propping himself up with the crutches. Kai had decided that he was going to demonstrate what he had been saying a few days ago to Max, and had ordered Ray to test his theory out, his argument being that Ray didn't need his legs to battle. Tyson and Dragoon didn't have the manoeuvrability for what he was intending, and for some strange reason, Kai was refusing to battle. No one had seen him beyblade since a few days after Ray came out of hospital, which was the subject of much debate between them all. "Three! Two! One!" Tyson called out enthusiastically. 

"Let it rip!" Max and Ray cried in unison, pulling their respective ripcords. The two beyblades landed in the dish, Driger wobbling slightly as Ray struggled to find his connection with the tiger again.

"You okay, Ray?" Max asked. Ray nodded, grinning as he found himself slipping back into his old niche. "Kai? What did you want Ray and I to do again?"

"You, stay where you are. Just do everything as you usually would." Kai replied curtly, busy filling Kenny in on what he was planning to do. "Ray, I want you to do what I told you earlier, all right?"

"Got it." Ray bit his lip in concentration. The manoeuvre that Kai wanted him to do was quite complicated, especially as he had just this second remembered how to do simple things like turn. Focusing fiercely, he sent Driger hurtling towards Draciel. At the moment of impact, he used Driger's momentum to shift the beyblade slightly, attacking a completely different point of the green beyblade. Max's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to call out a command, only to close it with a rueful smile as Draciel landed by his feet.

"I see what you mean." he laughed. Kai nodded briskly.

"I'm always right." he said with a faint smirk. "Now then, Max, as you can now see, your defence needs some serious work." He smirked again, nastily. "Maybe you can practice with Tyson."

"Hey! My defence does _not_ need... okay, maybe it does." Tyson said reluctantly, scowling at the captain. Kai turned to Ray, who couldn't help but blush ever so slightly at the teasing look in Kai's deep ruby eyes.

"And I thought that you said you couldn't remember how to blade, Ray?" Ray looked away, desperately fighting to keep his face a vaguely normal colour. "Okay, Tyson, Ray, you two battle next." With a triumphant yell, Tyson jumped up to the dish, readying Dragoon for launch.

"At last!" he exclaimed. "Ray, you're going down!"

"Quite possibly." Ray agreed dryly, ignoring the increasing ache in his legs as he raised Driger to chest-height. "But I'll do my best." Max, acting as referee, stepped up to the dish and raised his arm.

"All right, guys! When you're ready... And three! Two! One!"

"Let it rip!" The sound of clashing metal on metal echoed throughout the room, joined by Kenny's cries of advice and encouragement. With a brief smile at their antics, Kai slipped outside the training room on the hotel ground floor, walking slowly along the path.

* * *

The cold wind bit into his unprotected skin, but he barely noticed it. He was an Abbey student through and through in that respect. Amongst others. He leaned against the hotel wall, noticing out of the corner of his eye a dent in the wall, the bricks jagged and scored with deep lines. Pushing the unwanted explanation out of his mind, he pulled Dranzer out of his left-hand pocket. The royal blue beyblade sat awkwardly in his palm, not a glimmer to suggest that Dranzer was aware of his master's presence. 

"Dranzer?" His voice was unsure, nervous, and prompted no response from the magnificent bird trapped inside.

Seeing the other's blade had only reminded him of how little contact he had had with his own bit-beast recently. Dranzer's unresponsiveness gave him a strange hollow feeling in his stomach, but sparked off a long-dormant, almost childish stubbornness to keep on doing the wrong thing.

_Kai? _Slowly, Kai reached into his right-hand pocket and drew out the jet-black blade, staring at it as if transfixed.

"You tried to rape me." he whispered.

_You lost control_. Phoenix told him scathingly. _It's your own fault. You're too weak to use me. _Rage came to life inside him and he tightened his grip on the beyblade. Dranzer had slipped out of his hand at some point, and was lying on the concrete.

"I can control you."

_No, you can't_. _You're weak_. _Pathetic_. With a surge of anger, he slammed the blade into his launcher and launched it. He wasn't pathetic! He was the strongest beyblader around! If the order of battle had been different, he would be World Champion now, not Tyson! Him! _I'm invincible, bitch! In-fucking-vincible!_

"I am not pathetic!" he shouted wildly. Fury made a tight knot in his throat, created a pounding in his head. "I'm _not_! Black Dranzer, go!" The malignant spirit rose gracefully, glowing with a dark, feral beauty. Kai experienced a quick jolt of relief at the sight of Black Dranzer. He couldn't handle Phoenix with any degree of skill at the moment. He knew that they were one and the same, but he felt far more at ease with the beast form. "I'm more than strong enough to use you!" he yelled, sending a mental order to the bit-beast.

_Of course, Kai_. Black Dranzer said patronisingly. She let out a banshee shriek of glee and soared in a full circle before returning to the task that Kai had set her. Destroy anything that won't cause a stir. After annihilating the metal fence that ran along the pathway, she landed in front of Kai, staring directly at him. Gradually, the red mist began to seep from her body again, coiling around Kai teasingly. _You really think you're strong enough to have me as your bit-beast?_

"Cocky, aren't you?" he replied coolly, bathing his hand in the cool, clinging mist and watching it idly. Anger was wiping out what little common sense he still had, replacing it with something that he liked a whole lot better.

* * *

Panting, Ray commanded Driger to stop spinning. 

_At last! _a faint voice sounded from nowhere. Ray frowned, then shrugged, dismissing it. The shredded tendons in his legs were screaming at him, his head spinning, pounding. Tyson rushed forwards and caught him as he fell, grabbing him round the waist and lowering him carefully to the floor.

"Ray, pal, you okay?" he demanded, staring worriedly at him. Ray gazed blurrily up at the hot-headed younger boy and smiled weakly.

"I'm ...okay, Tyson." he mumbled. "Probably should've stopped a while ago, though..."

"Yes, you should have!" Kenny snapped, concern for his friend making him irritable.

"Oh, leave him alone, Chief!" Max said lightly, punching Kenny gently on the shoulder. He leaned over and grinned cheerfully at Ray. "You're knackered, bud!" he pronounced. Ray tried to grimace, but it came out as more of a spasmodic twitch.

"Yeah, I know." he said faintly.

"Well, go to bed then!" Max said easily. Ray glared at him with what little energy that he could summon for annoyance. The blond relented and grinned again, putting his hands underneath Ray's arms. "Okay, I get the point. Tyson? Lend me a hand here?" With a nod, Tyson bent down and helped Max haul Ray upright.

"C'mon, bud. Let's get you into bed." _Oh, joy! _Ray complained silently, fighting down the urge to either cry out or vomit as he was pulled into a vaguely vertical position. Keeping his head erect by sheer force of will, he watched dazedly as the two boys heaved him along.

With a sigh of utter exhaustion, he tumbled into bed the second that they let go of him. His eyelids fluttered closed. Faintly, he heard one set of footsteps exit the room. Stirring slightly, he forced his heavy eyelids to open.

"What's up, Tyson?" he asked feebly. Tyson flushed slightly and looked determindly at the floor.

"Can I ask you something kinda personal?" he asked.

"Go ahead."

"Um...um...are...you and Kai...you know...together?" After silently piecing the fragmented sentence together, Ray looked at the younger boy in surprise. Tyson wasn't usually that perceptive. Make that _never_. "It's just...Max thought that you two were acting kinda...weird round each other..." Tyson was tomato-red by now, one hand cupping the back of his neck in sheer embarrassment. Ray chuckled softly in his team mate's obvious humilation.

"I don't really know." he answered quietly, sitting up with difficulty. "It's...tricky."

"Like what?" Tyson sat down next to him, his expression interested. Ray took a moment to laugh at his situation. He was talking to Tyson - _Tyson_ - about his messed-up relationship with the team captain? He must be even more tired than he thought...

"Well, you know him. Ask him to show emotion and he runs a mile." he said flippantly.

"Oh yeah, my hunch was right! Go me!" Max said excitedly, coming in and hurtling onto the bed. The two older boys looked at each other. _Sugar_, they thought in unison.

"What have you eaten, Max?" Ray asked tiredly. Max reddened furiously as he mumbled something indistinctly under his breath.

"Couple a' tubs..."

"Chocolate ice-cream again?" Max nodded sheepishly.

"Anyway, back onto the good stuff. How long have you known you were gay?" he inquired, changing the subject with dazzling speed. Ray blinked, taken aback and unsure how they would take the answer.

"A long time." he said finally.

"Who was the first guy that you had a crush on?"

"What's with the inquisition?" Ray asked defensively, wakening up slowly. There was a slight pause. Max raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Lee." he said eventually, with a sigh. Unexpectedly, Max let out a soft whoop of triumph.

"Oh yes! Right again! Man, I rule at this!" He turned a million-watt smile on Ray. "Mariah was the cover-up, then?" Ray couldn't help but let his mouth fall open in utter shock. No one had ever guessed this accurately about his screw-up of a love-life. Even Kai had only guessed that he used to fancy Lee, he had made a comment about the fact that Ray had to be bisexual because of it. In reality, Mariah and himself both had ulterior motives for their apparent attraction. Him: Lee, at the time, Kai almost at first sight later on. Mariah: Emily, once again, almost at first sight. Personally, he couldn't see the attraction in the ginger-haired tennis and computer freak. Not that it was surprising, after all, he wasn't exactly the best judge of females. Or feminine anything, although having Mariah as his "girlfriend" and one of his best friends had given him a look into their confusing, fashion-orientated heads.

"Max," he said slowly. "Does sugar give you mind-reading properties or something? You're seriously freaking me out here!" Max grinned widely.

"I'm good at reading people." he said simply. "Always have been. It's a good party trick." Tyson was just sitting there, his head following the conversation like a nodding-dog puppet, a look of vague bewilderment on his face.

"You haven't answered my question properly." he said abruptly. Ray mentally rewound the conversation until he reached the part that Tyson's slow-moving brain had just processed.

"Oh, that. It's just...there's times when he's almost...tender, if you can believe it - " Tyson's face said no. "- but there's more when he won't let me near him, when if I try to...do anything, he comes out with some crap about me deserving better than him!" He slammed his fist into the mattress in frustration. "Like I care!" His voice lowered. He could practically _see_ Max's ears extending... "I didn't fall in love with his attitude, I fell in love with him. And nothing he can say is ever gonna change that." He laughed softly at the two boy's very different reactions to his unintentional outburst. Tyson had both hands clamped over his ears, an uncomfortable expression on his face that read OH HELL, MUSHY STUFF! in neon writing. Max was making an incredible effort to look as though he couldn't care less, but his eyes were gleaming with interest.

_You are needed, Ray. _He shook his head irritably. There was that strange voice again. He'd better not be going nuts, he had enough to worry about without adding his mental state to the mile-long list.

"You okay, bud?" Tyson asked, looking concernedly at him. Absentmindedly, he nodded.

"Uh-huh...fine..."

"No, you're not!" Tyson pronounced matter-of-factly.

"We should probably get out now, let you have a kip." Max said, more to Tyson than Ray himself. Standing up, the previous signs of sugar overload came back with a rush. He grabbed Tyson by the ear and dragged him out. "See ya later, Ray!" he yelled.

"Bye!" Tyson choked out, writhing around in Max's iron grip. Ray sighed and sat back. He felt...strange. Edgy. As though something bad was about to happen. _Don't be stupid_, he scolded himself. _You're just over-tired and imagining things_.

_No, you are not._

"Shut up!" Ray muttered angrily. "Great! I'm talking to my own head!" He lay back, staring at the ceiling.

* * *

_You don't know a tenth of my power, Kai. _There was a note in her voice that intrigued him. Looking up, he met her eyes confidently. 

"Oh, don't I?" He plunged both arms into the mist up to the shoulders, felt the shock and a brief moment of pain as his body readjusted to the dark phoenix's unholy strength. He looked up at her, an evil smile plastered onto his face, his eyes blazing. "_Don't I_?" His suddenly harsh voice rasped around the pathway, carrying too clearly in the icy night air. Slowly, he took a step forward. His eyes were mere holes in his corpse-white face, alight with writhing blood-red flames.

For the first time since she had been created, Phoenix felt a stab of fear pierce her unshakeable self-confidence. She could feel her power being drained from her, drawn into the sinister figure that was Kai Hitwatari.

Who..._what_...was he? Remembering that her human form unsettled him, she switched in the most flamboyant way that she could think of, flashing lights, screeches, you name it. The manical grin on Kai's previously handsome features didn't change. If anything, it grew wider, more malevolent. He reached up and touched her cheek, his skin so cold it burnt.

"_Bad Phoenix_." he whispered. He leaned forward and captured her mouth in a bruising, dominant kiss, forcing her mouth open with his. When he drew away, wisps of mist trickled out the corners of his mouth. He stared at her, his flat, blank stare far more terrifying than any glare. Phoenix shrank away, recognising a power far greater than hers.

_Voltaire! _she shrieked silently. _What's happening?_

_What do I care? You're on your own, bit-beast_. Voltaire's pitiless thoughts told her. With a defiant screech, the mutated spirit, born long ago of Dranzer and Kai's DNA combined, rose to fight her sire.

_I will never lose to you, Kai!_ she swore silently. _You can't defeat me, you can't even keep away from me! You're **mine! **_Hard, unflinching, cold obsidian met blazing, untouchable ruby as the two combatants stared at each other. _I'm the part of you that you can't even bear to think about! How can you fight what you can't even face up to? _she challenged.

"_You're nothing._" Kai's harsh, icy voice grated out. "_I have become more than you ever were_." He stepped forwards again. "_Now's who's pathetic_?" His eyes glittered with the cold light of triumphant revenge as he faced his life-long seductress.

* * *

Ray tossed and turned in bed, unable to stay still. The uneasy feeling of trouble had blossomed into a fully-fledged certaincy. 

"Guys?" he called. Keny's head popped round the door.

"Yes, Ray? What's the matter?" he asked.

"Could you go and get me my crutches, please? I need to walk around for a bit." With an uncertain nod, Kenny disappeared, his feet pattering down the stairs. A few minutes later, he returned with the crutches.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" he asked anxiously as Ray slowly levered himself upright, pausing to take a deep breath and fight back dizziness.

"I'm fine, Chief." Ray answered mildly. "Don't worry about me." He flashed a grin at the youngest team member, hoping that he looked and sounded more confident than he actually felt. Clearly he did, as Kenny gave him one last, unconvinced stare and left, mumbling;

"Well, if you're sure..." Pushing his unwilling, throbbing legs into action, Ray hobbled out of the room and began wandering around aimlessly, searching for the reason behind his unreasonable dread.

At last, he had searched every room in their suite and discovered two important things.

One: Kai was nowhere to be found.

Two: The feeling had gotten much worse. His stomach was twisting with anticipation and nerves, and for what?

There was only really one place left that he could look for Kai.

_Outside_. Shivering at the very idea, he reluctantly changed direction.

The sound of his crutches clicking on the pavement was loud in the thick silence. Quivering violently with cold, he was about to turn tail and go back inside when he spotted the end of Kai's scarf just round the corner. He went slowly, unable to hurry due to the pain shooting up both legs like a lightning bolt. Evetually, he rounded the corner and stopped in shock.

Frozen, unable to move or think, he watched in horror as Kai broke what appeared to be a very passionate kiss with a tall, black-haired woman. A desperate scream poked experimentally at his lips, but he clenched them tight, feeling a leaden weight slowly settle on his chest. _Kai...no...Kai, please... _His legs folded underneath him and he knelt on the cold concrete, leaning his entire weight on the wall. _Where did I go wrong, Kai?_ he pleaded mentally. _What did I do?_ The soul-destroying sight began to float oddly as his eyelids drooped.

_Look again, Ray. _His eyesight blurred. When it cleared, a very different picture emerged.

* * *

Ooh, a cliffe! I luv 'em! I've started on the next chapter, so it should be up pretty soon. Expect lots of strangeness! And please, please review, the last chapter has only had two reviews and about sixty people've looked at it! And tell me about any mistakes, so that I can worry about my spelling. 


	6. Chapter 6

I don't like this chapter, I really don't, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere! Well, that's a lie 'causeI know where it's going, but... Anyway, it's mainly all lemon, so if you don't like it, don't read past the word "inside" and start reading again on "suddenly". If you ask me, it's confusing, so I'll explain what happened at the bottom, okay? Enjoy!

* * *

A sickly, poisonous, blood-red fog hung in the air between Kai and the woman, thickening and turning to black then disappearing where it touched Kai's skin. Was it just him, or was the woman becoming...transparent?

"K-Kai?" Ray quavered, suddenly unable to stop shivering. "You...you okay?" Kai turned to face him, his eyes dark.

"I'm fine, Ray. Just fine." Ray frowned. Kai's voice was deeper than it should be, hoarse, too.

"Oh, o-okay...who's s-she?"

"She's nothing." Kai said dismissively. At a wave of his hand, the woman turned and walked away, not without an annoyed glance in Kai's direction. Kai followed her with his gaze for a moment, his face twisting in contempt. Once she had disappeared from sight, he strode over to Ray and crouched down next to him. "You shouldn't be out here." he murmured, rubbing Ray's cold arm with one hand. Ray gazed at him, feeling slightly light-headed.

"Kai...that woman..." Kai placed a finger on his lips, then leaned in and kissed him lightly.

"Ssh, Ray. Don't worry about her, all right?"

"All right." Ray replied, unsure. He shivered again, colder than he would ever admit. "But, still, Kai why - "

"Ssh." Kai told him again, pulling him close and kissing him softly. Despite his doubts, despite his absolute certaincy that Kai was keeping something back from him, Ray found himself responding, winding his arms around Kai's neck and tangling his fingers in his thick blue hair, pulling him closer, kissing him harder. Kai invaded his mouth with his tongue, his touch oddly alien, yet incredibly compelling. Ray's mind was clouded by sudden desire, his eyes dazed as he pressed himself as close to Kai as he could get. Kai's hands found their way underneath his top, burning hot against his icy-cold skin. Their lips crashed together again, the kiss fierce and deep with lust. Kai drew away. Ray stared up at him, captivated by those dark, intense eyes that were returning his stare tenfold. "I want you, Ray." Kai whispered, his voice deeper and hoarser than ever. "Come on..." He stood up, practically lifting Ray with him, and guided the shivering, limping boy inside.

Kai pushed Ray onto his bed, crawling on after him and kissing him passionately. Ray moaned in pleasure, finally beginning to warm up again. "This better?" He nodded vehemently. "Good. Take off your top." Kai ordered. Obediently, Ray wriggled away slightly and stripped off his top. He gasped as Kai rested a hand on his bare chest, using his other hand to pull ineffectively at his own top. Ray smiled slightly and reached over to help.

"Here..."

"I can do it myself." Kai muttered, his voice suddenly hard. Ray blinked and nodded.

"Okay..." he said uncertainly. His unease was driven out of his mind mere seconds later as Kai's fever-hot, muscular chest pressed against his. "Kai..." he moaned, before diving back into the kiss, suddenly frantic for more contact between them. His still-numb fingers scrabbled at Kai's trousers, eventually undoing the belt and unzipping the zip. He felt Kai chuckle, the low sound vibrating through his body deliciously. Shuddering with hunger for something other than food, he fumbled with Kai's boxers, feeling Kai easily relieving him of his own lower garments. Kai's warm hands rested gently on his painful legs, rubbing the exact spot where the tendons had torn (the back of his knees). It was oddly soothing...

"Do you want it to stop hurting?" Kai murmured in his ear, his breath brushing against Ray's cheek and making the Chinese boy shiver with pent-up delight. He nodded feverently. "Okay, then..." There was a moment of burning, scalding heat, then nothing, a numbess that Ray barely recognised as the lack of the pain that had tortured him ceaselessly for nearly half a month.

"How...what did you do?" he managed, not noticing the strange, unholy glow in Kai's eyes, crimson darkening to the darkest midnight-ruby.

"Does it matter?" Kai replied huskily. Ray shook his head hurriedly and continued to fiddle with Kai's boxer shorts. With a grunt of impatience, Kai reached down and pulled them down, taking the oppurtunity to yank Ray's down as well. Ray stared stupidly for a minute, his brain refusing to register that he had got what he wanted. "Do I have to do everything?" Kai sighed, nipping Ray's ear to bring him to his senses. Ray jolted back to reality in an instant, looking up at Kai with glazed eyes. "This is going to hurt." the older blader warned. Ray nodded in understanding, then winced in pain as Kai gently inserted a finger inside him, kissing him fiercely in the process. Ray kissed him back, trying to ignore the renewed pain as Kai put in another finger and began to gently scissor them. The friction was unbearable, he was hopelessly aroused, and he could feel Kai's erection straining against his leg. With a grunt of satisfaction, Kai removed his fingers and shifted his position until he was above Ray. "Turn over." he growled, his voice rasping sexily. "Right now." Ray did so, shivering with nervous excitement and more than a little apprehension as he felt something both harad and soft at the same time touch the small of his back and slide down. "I apologise for the pain." Kai said from somewhere above him. _Huh?_ Ray thought, then realised in a red-hot blaze of pain.

"Oh...that..." he panted, grinning cheekily at Kai. "That's nothing!" He bit his lip as Kai began to move in and out. The sheer feeling of completeness overwhelmed the pain.

All his life, he'd been the outcast, the boy on the edge that was looked up to and treated as a friend, but never quite on the same leve as everyone else, always lacking someone who really loved him. The Bladebreakers had accepted him with ease, made him feel happier than ever before in his life. Yet there had still been that little hole deep inside him, the part of him that longed for a tender caress, a fierce kiss, someone that loved him fully and utterly for who he was. Someone who wasn't bound by village superstition to believe that the child of a mother who had died in childbirth was forever tainted. Someone who saw him as more than a friend.

Kai moved relentlessly inside him, gradually thrusting harder and faster, both hands planted around Ray's slender waist to help him balance.

Was this what he wanted? The question came belatedly. The answer came back to him in a flash. _Yes_. When he was with Kai, he felt whole, he felt loved. Needed. When they kissed, it was as if both their pasts, and God only knew Kai's was worse than his, dropped away from them, and there was only the two of them, alone in a world of bliss and love. Maybe he was stupid to be thinking that. But right now, nothing else seemed to matter. Just him and Kai...

He let out a stifled cry as sheer ecstacy flooded through him in a white-hot wave. Clutching the sheets in clenched fists, he gritted his teeth as he came, feeling Kai come inside him. Kai leaned down and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Again?" he murmured, his husky voice grating against Ray's self-control.

"Get on with it, then!" he joked, flashing Kai a tight grin. With a satisfied nod, Kai began moving again, deliberately grinding his hips against Ray on every downward plunge. Ray growled low in his throat, both irritated and excited by Kai's teasing antics.

* * *

Suddenly, the door swung open. Max stood in the doorway, his face an almost comical picture of utter shock. Ray winced as Kai sat up abruptly, the friction painful this time. His eyes widened in shock and fear as Kai shouted out something incoherent, his face twisted almst beyond recognition, and raised his hand. Black light - no, not light, if anything, it sucked light into it - shot out from his palm and hit Max square in the chest.

The blond boy was flung backwards into the wall behind the door, where he lay motionless, his face deathly white. Ray gaped in horror and turned to Kai, whose eyes were black with an emotion he couldn't figure out. Deep, hard, unfathomable black.

"What's going on - Max!"

"Kenny!" Ray yelled, grabbing hold of both of Kai's wrists. "_Get away_!" A bolt of black energy smashed into the doorframe just above Kenny's head. The eleven year-old squeaked in terror and ducked instinctively. "Kenny, _move it_!" Ray screamed desperately, wrestling with Kai. The older boy suddenly had the strength of ten, and was becoming virtually impossible to restrain. What was going _on? _He heard Kenny, who had scuttled away frantically, calling an ambulance. What Kenny said next froze the blood in his veins.

"Help! One of my friend's just been really, really hurt by another friend!" A pause. "Dangerous? _I damn well think so_! He just tried to kill me!" Kenny's voice had gone up at least one octave, if not more.

Kai suddenly went very still in Ray's arms, although the tension was still humming through his body like electricity. Ray looked at Max's motionless form and went icy cold.

Kai had just tried to kill two of them. _Kill_ them. Suddenly horribly, paralyzingly afraid, he stayed where he was, realising, he didn't know how, that he was the only thing keeping Kai from going ballistic again.

* * *

What seemed like hours later, the paramedics raced in and loaded Max onto a stretcher, then raced away again with an urgent speed that didn't bode well. Tyson, nearly beside himself with worry and confusion, followed them. Ray watched as if in a dream as Kenny peered round the door. Kai tensed up again. Kenny nearly wet himself, but when Kai made no further threatening movements, he turned and nervously beckoned. Four people walked through the doorway, three men and a woman.

"Which one is it?" one of them asked Kenny in a low voice.

"That one. Kai." came Kenny's tiny voice. The woman nodded.

"Kai, would you like to come with us, please?" she asked politely. Kai snarled wordlessly at her, his still-black eyes wide and watchful. "Is that a no?"

"What'd'y think, bitch?" he hissed viciously. The woman's facial expression didn't so much as twitch at the hostile, stark naked boy sitting there glaring at her through unnaturally black orbs. _She must be used to that kind of thing in her job_, Ray thought dazedly. _Wait, what is her job? They think Kai's mad or something, don't they? _He started shivering, unconsciously pulling Kai closer to him_. He's not...is he? I don't know what's going on...somebody tell me!_ he wailed inwardly.

"Now then, that's not very nice, is it? You're upsetting your...friend." Both boys felt irritation swell inside them at the prim hesitation. Kai flipped her off, his strange eyes flicking watchfully round the room.

"You got a problem with us, cunt?" he asked agressively.

"Of course not, Kai! If you would just come with us, we could sort this whole mess out. Don't you want that? To feel normal again?" Kai looked down, apparently disconcerted.

"Normal...what's normal?" He laughed harshly, bitterly. "Fuck you, bitch. There's nothing you could do for me." The woman changed tacks.

"Very well, what about your boyfriend, then? Come on." She held out a hand to Ray, who looked at it in slight confusion. His head was spinning like a roundabout, he couldn't seem to keep track of what was happening... "Just take my hand and I promise you, we'll try and sort this out, okay?" Nodding uncertainly, he swung his weakened legs over the side of the bed.

"I-I need my crutches..." he mumbled faintly.

"All right. Where are they?" Ray shrugged feebly.

"Dunno. My head hurts..." He bit his lip, fighting back tears of weakness. A warm hand pulled him backwards, enfolding him in a soothing embrace.

"Hush, Ray, it's all right." Kai murmured. "You're just in shock still, don't be afraid." He leaned down and touched his lips softly to Ray's. Ray relaxed into the kiss, slowly pulling himself together.

"Okay," he muttered, standing up unsteadily. "I'm gonna go with them, all right, Kai?" Helped by one of the men, he limped out of the room, feeling Kai's gaze burning into the back of his neck.

* * *

Right, in summary; Kai's completelyabsorbed Black Dranzer's power and hasused it to seduce Ray (not that Ray didn't want it). He attacked Max because he was angry and surprised and lost control, then Kenny because he _was _out of control. If any one didn't understand anything else, please ask me in your review. Please do _not_ tell me that this isn't as good as my other chapters,I am fully aware of that fact, and the next one will be back up to normal standards, I promise! I apologise a million times over for the long wait, hopefully I'll have the next one up sooner. Bye for now! 


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, this chapter is very short, and very strange. I'm not too sure about it...oh well, see what you lot think!

* * *

"Ray, _there_ you are, where were you, what's happening, what did Kai do to Max?" Tyson ranted, his face pale and worried. Ray shivered and didn't answer, pulling the blanket that someone had given him tighter round his body. He wasn't even wearing his own clothes, just some spare items that a nurse had been able to find for him, and they itched like crazy. He focused on the itching, blocking out everything that was happening around him.

* * *

Tyson called Ray's name a few more times, then, recognising a lost cause, wandered out of the little side-room. He chewed his lip nervously. Kenny and Ray were practically comatose, and no one was letting him near Max. And where was Kai? He took Dragoon out of his pocket and grasped the white beyblade tightly, trying to give himself a confidence boost and failing miserably. Sinking down onto a chair, he buried his head in his hands and let the frustrated tears fall. 

"What the hell's happening?" he muttered brokenly. He'd never felt so alone. The empty corridors seemed to mock him, echoing with invisible footsteps. He didn't know what was going on - why would nobody _tell_ him?

* * *

Max lay motionless in the hospital bed, his face chalk-white and devoid of any expression, half-covered by an oxygen mask. Only the beeping heart monitor confirmed that there was still a heart beating inside the fragile shell of the twelve year-old boy. A nurse came in and checked his medical chart. Tutting softly, she changed his IV, eyeing the chest drain vigilantly. With a sigh, she rested her hand lightly against the young boy's forehead. 

"Poor kid," she murmured, before leaving the room.

* * *

Tyson looked listlessly up. His face lit up like a light bulb as he saw who was approaching. 

"Mr Dickinson!" he cried joyfully, bounding up and rushing over to the elderly man, who smiled and allowed Tyson to hug him tightly. "Thank god you're here!" Tyson exclaimed, his head buried in Mr Dickinson's ample stomach. "No one's telling me _anything_, and I can't see Max, and Ray and Kenny won't talk to me, and-" He stopped mid-sentence as a harassed-looking doctor came bustling up to the pair.

"Stanley Dickinson?" she questioned in flawless English. The man in question nodded, his plump face creased with anxiety.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"Maxim Tate was admitted a few hours earlier in a coma, sir. He has seven broken ribs, two of which have punctured his right lung. We have very little knowledge of what happened, other than a boy named Kai was directly involved. Two boys, Ken and Ouray have been admitted for shock; until they tell us what happened all we can do is treat Max as we would normally. We do, sir, have reason to believe that this is a police matter," the doctor said formally. Despite everything, Tyson found himself sniggering, not listening to anything else that was said.

"Ouray...man, Ray, that's the weirdest name I've ever heard..."

"Native American in origin, if I'm right," a small, shaky voice lectured.

"_Kenny_!" Tyson shouted. He hurtled across the corridor and burst into his friend's side-room, hugging him happily. "You're back!"

"Never left, as far as I'm aware…" the eleven year-old mumbled indistinctly, his voice muffled by Tyson's strangle-hold. "Just sort of…fell asleep with my eyes open." Tyson laughed, delighted to finally have someone to talk to again. "Where's Dizzi?"

"Um…back at the hotel?"

Fifteen minutes later, a solemn-looking Mr Dickinson stepped into the room.

"Kenny, do you feel up to talking to the police about what happened?" he asked quietly. Kenny paled drastically, but tightened his lips and nodded determinedly. "Good boy." The BBA chairman left the room.

"Woof." Kenny muttered under his breath. Tyson let out a snort of laughter, which faded instantly as he was told that he wasn't allowed in the room while the police were questioning Kenny.

"What? This is _so_ unfair - "

"Do you know Kai?" the burly policeman asked him in slightly accented English, his gaze friendly. Tyson hesitated, and then nodded.

"To an extent." he answered, uncharacteristically serious.

"Well, we'll talk to you afterwards." Clearly dismissed, Tyson scowled and wandered out, leaning against the wall in a stance that was unconsciously reminiscent of Kai.

* * *

"So, Kenny, isn't it?" Kenny nodded. "Would you mind telling us what happened to cause your friend Max to be injured? Taking a deep breath, Kenny began speaking, wishing helplessly for the familiar, smooth contours of Dizzi clasped in his arms. 

"Well, I don't really know much, Ray probably knows everything that happened-" He broke off as the policeman leaned over and whispered something to his partner, who nodded and scribbled something down in a notebook.

"Please carry on, Kenny."

"Okay… So, I heard a really loud bang coming from Kai's bedroom, so I went to see what it was. Then I saw Max lying there," He swallowed, his stomach churning with nervousness. "and I called out, something like "What's going on?", I don't really remember, then Ray yelled at me, told me to get away, then this bolt of…I don't know, energy or something, hit the doorway just above me. I think Ray was holding Kai back, he yelled at me to run, so I did, I went and phoned the ambulance." He took a deep, shuddering breath.

"And what happened then?"

"They arrived, and they brought other people too, I reckon they were people specifically for unstable situations, and they tried to get Kai to come with them."

"Did he?" Kenny shook his head.

"Nope, Ray did, but Kai…Kai…" He trailed off, horrifying images flooding his mind's eye.

_

* * *

An air of power fills the room, crowding the air already thick with the stench of blood. The figure that should be Kai, but isn't, turns to Kenny. Black eyes blaze with the fires of hell, lips stretch back in an insane smile. As Kenny watches, petrified, his eyes flicking between the bloodied corpses on the floor and the satanic apparition grinning at him, Kai raises a hand and points it at the small boy's head. _

_"**Forget this, Chief**." he rasps. "**I'm not that cruel**."_

_**His lips aren't moving! **Kenny thinks frantically. **They're not moving! This goes against everything logical- **With a guttural, inhuman laugh, Kai closes his fist. Kenny's world goes black._

* * *

Kenny buried his head in his folded arms. His mind felt foggy and confused, half-formed thoughts of blood and evil spirits floating around aimlessly. 

"Kai…didn't go with them." he whispered finally. He was sure of that, if nothing else. A small frown flickers across the policeman's calm face.

"Are you quite sure that's all you remember?" Kenny nodded sleepily, yawning softly. His eyelids began to droop, and he curled up in a ball. A jumble of incomprehensible Russian sounded faintly in his ears, and through a haze he saw the two policeman being led out.

* * *

Tyson fiddled uneasily with Dragoon. 

"How would you describe Kai?" A small smile crept onto Tyson's tanned face.

"A sourpuss." he murmured, chuckling. "He was never what you'd call talkative, or friendly." he elaborated.

"Did he ever behave in a violent way towards any of you?" Tyson shook his head fiercely.

"No, never!" he denied impatiently. "He used to punch the wall a lot when we got too annoying to cope with, but he never, _ever_ hit us, or did anything except glare and insult us."

"What do you know about his home life, his past?"

"Virtually nothing." Tyson replied frankly. "All we know is that his grandfather used him to try and get control of all the bit-beasts in the world."

"Did his grandfather ever abuse him in any way at all?"

"I don't know."

"What about his parents? Where are they? Are they dead?" The policeman's tone was sharp, urgent.

"I-I don't know." Tyson's voice cracked as a worried tear slid down his cheek. He wiped it away with an angry swipe of his hand. "We really don't know that much about him, none of us do. Mr Dickinson's probably your man if you want information like that." He bit his lip, struggling not to burst into sobs. He _was_ only thirteen, after all, and scared out of his wits

"One last question, Tyson, all right?" He nodded, swallowing. "Thank you. Now then, would you consider your friend at all dangerous?" Tyson opened his mouth to deny it instantly, but something kept him thinking, remembering a time when Kai had looked capable of anything, a time only a few weeks before. Cold-blooded, pitiless, ruthless…dangerous? Power hungry didn't describe it, but…dangerous? As in: potentially violent? Kai?

"Maybe…" he whispered faintly. _Maybe… _Another tear slipped down, soon followed by another, then another.

* * *

Kai ran tirelessly down the streets of Moscow. He had been running for almost two hours now, and still his legs pumped up and down, moving like pistons. Unstoppable. He was breathing normally, not a drop of sweat to show effort. He slipped through the crowded streets like a ghost, like the evil spirit that he had triumphed over just a few short hours earlier. 

All victory had its price.

Jagged shapes swan around in his mind, floating in a background of red and black. He was diving amongst them, engulfed in radiant crimson and the deepest black.

A black that was slowly but surely taking him over.

* * *

Max's corpse-like face suddenly screwed up in an expression of pain. Sweat stood out on his white forehead. One arm shifted slightly on the hard bed sheet as a fierce internal battle drew to a climax. 

The brief semblance ofawareness that had returned to his still form was snatched cruelly away as the heart monitor showed a flat line. An alarm sounded, the shrill, insistent bleeps signalling the boy's surrender. Cries of alarm ripped through the thick silence, a tableau of panicked hospital staff reflected in half-open, glassy blue eyes.

* * *

(Do not read if you are caught up in the story)

Just remember this, people, if Max was to die, Kai would be facing a murder charge. Which would be _BAD._

Ray _will_ come into the next chapter, he's just in shock at the moment. Oh yeah, if you're wondering about the whole Ouray/Maxim thing, I got tired of Raymond and Maximillian. Ouray means something along the lines of "straight arrow" in Native American.

Anyway, I'm really not too happy about this chapter, so please review and tell me your opinions.

AndI also apologise for the large amount of line-things in this chapter.I know it looks strange.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm going away for a week in about two hoursand wanted to get this up beforeI left, so in my opinion it's tooshort and rushed.

Note: From now on, all of Kai's thoughts while he's absorbed Black Dranzer's power will be in **bold. **

Ihope you enjoy it!

* * *

Kai swung his legs childishly over the twenty-foot drop, unaware that the uneven, decidedly sharp wall was cutting into his thighs. He let out a rasping, humourless chuckle. Malicious glee drowned his conscience and mind, a twisted satisfaction replacing the unnecessary objects. He closed his dark eyes and tipped his head back, remembering.

_Ray stood up shakily. _

_"Okay," he muttered, eyes fixed to the floor. "I'm gonna go with them, all right, Kai?" Kai stared at him, noticing with sudden distaste the defeated slump of his shoulders, the weak, frightened tone in his voice. Wordlessly, he watched him go, squashing down the twinge of regret and protectiveness that forced themselves into his mind. **Pathetic fool**, he told himself firmly. **That's all he is**. With Ray gone, the atmosphere in the room thickened immeasurably. Kai shot a look at Kenny, enjoying the way the young boy flinched back in fear. He shifted positions lazily, out-staring everyone in the room with ease. All except that woman._

_She was standing a little way away from the bed, her gaze intense, concerned._

_"Do you want to put some clothes on, Kai?" she asked cautiously. Kai gave a short, sharp laugh. **Yeah, right. These bastards are going to have to do better than that.**_

_"I saw the needle, you stupid cow," he said casually. "You think I'm turning my back on you for one second? You must be even stupider than you look." He stretched again, his gaze locking with the woman's in a quick, brutal power struggle. He won with ease. **Of course. Barely worth the effort. **"Since you asked nicely," his voice dripped with sarcasm, "I might just put my clothes on. Pass me them, please." He took the garments without any kind of acknowledgement and dressed quickly, never breaking eye contact. "What you still doing here, anyway?" he asked distractedly, adjusting his scarf fussily._

_"Kai," The woman's voice was soft, calm. "You do realise what you have done, don't you?" For a second, he honestly didn't. Scrabbling frantically through his memories, he finally remembered. **Oh yeah. Max. **A faint, almost unrecognisable tinge of sorrow pierced his heart. **Max… He should be dead by now. Pity…**_

_"Yes."_

_"Why did you do it?" Kai shrugged, his expression somewhat sullen._

_"He startled me." he muttered, irritated._

_"How did you do it, Kai?" she asked, leaning in too close. His hand slid into his pocket, concealing it from sight._

_"Why?" His voice lowered by nearly half an octave, gained a harsh, rasping edge like the sound of a hacksaw cutting into bone. "You want a demonstration?" He stood up, loving the automatic flinch that shivered round the room. "How did I do it?" He imitated her voice mockingly. "Like this." He drew out his previously concealed hand and uncurled it slowly. Black swirled around the white appendage like water in a situation of zero gravity, the tendrils cool against his skin. "Just like this." he whispered, excitement thrilling through him at his own power. A single strand of darkness detached itself from his hand and floated over to one of the men standing by the door. "How would you like to die?" Kai asked pleasantly. Everyone was silent, frozen into terrified stillness. "No particular desires? Oh well, I'll experiment." _

_The man was a good six foot five and muscular to go with it, and the expression on his face was that of slightly spooked bravado. That changed instantly as the tip of the strand touched his cheek. The contact, as light and insubstantial as a lover's parting caress, froze him to the spot. Suddenly, thin lines of red began to spread across his cheek from the point of contact._

_With a flash of a softer emotion that he didn't examine too closely, Kai turned and ordered Kenny to face the wall. Efficiently, he put a blanket of power around him, blocking out all sight and sound. Turning back to the trapped, helpless man, there was no hint of pity left in his eyes, or in his heart._

_"Hm…implosion…sounds interesting…" His eyes narrowed briefly. The man began to scream in agony, his body distorting grotesquely as he writhed desperately, shrivelling as he moved. "No, too boring. Explosion?" The screams redoubled. Thick, rope-like arteries could be seen pulsing against the man's beefy arms, bones clicking and moving under the suddenly stretched skin. "Yes, I think I like this." Kai whispered, his eyes glittering like the stars in the deepest, darkest midnight sky. _

_Abruptly, he brought his hand into a tight fist. The dying man's last, hopeless screams echoed through the room. There was a moment of silence, then Kai began to laugh softly. _

_He carried on laughing even when pieces of the decimated man's skin and bone landed on him and around him. He laughed as he turned to the others, those interfering, know-nothing adults, and killed them all, one by one. Now, there was only one left. That woman. She looked as though she was about to faint, as well she might. Chuckles bubbled from his lips like blood and saliva had from the corpses' lips as he stalked towards her._

_"You, my dear? How about self-combustion?" She didn't answer. Leaning forwards, he kissed her viciously, biting her lip and filling both their mouths with blood. He crushed her to him, watching with sadistic pleasure as she went limp in his arms and burnt from the inside out, her lips first drying, then peeling, then disappearing from the heat that consumed her. Flinging her incinerated corpse to the floor, he looked at Kenny._

_The bloodlust faded. He wiped a few pieces of human skin off his clothes and freed the boy from his sightless, soundless prison. **I saved you your sanity, Kenny. You don't deserve it. **He began to laugh again, stopping himself before he lost control. **Then again, where's the fun in being sane? **Grinning, he lifted his hand and pointed it towards Kenny's head._

_"**Forget this, Chief**." he rasped. "**I'm not that cruel**." The boy stared at him, petrified, then quite suddenly crumpled to the floor, unconscious. With a groan of annoyance, Kai picked up the eleven year-old and dumped him outside the room. Licking his bloodstained hand and wrist, he tasted the coppery fluid on his tongue and gave a terrible smile._

That same smile formed on his lips, curving them into a brutal, wide grin. He held out his hand and let the black lick over his skin. He moulded it into the constituency of butter or lotion and dragged it all over his body, then took a handful and let it "melt", dripping down onto his skin and clothes. The sight was disturbing, yet undeniably, unstoppably sexy. Kai slowly licked his lips and swung himself up onto the wall. Pain shot through his thighs and he looked down to see his own blood welling there. His black eyes took in the information, then disregarded it. Moving along the wall with a fluid, almost feline action, he headed for the place that was slowly drawing him in.

_Feline... _His weakened rational mind tried to show him a slender, attractive figure. Long, long, silky black hair, beautiful, gleaming honey-coloured eyes - The rapidly forming image left his mind's eye in an instant.

**_He is nothing._**

* * *

"He's in V.F! Get the crash trolley! Charging to 360 and…clear!" The buzz of the defibrillator paddles sounded loud in the suddenly silent room. The line remained horizontal. "Charging to 360 again! And…clear!" 

Max's parents sat outside the room, watching helplessly through the glass as the medical team fought for their only child's life, calling out to one another in a language they couldn't even understand. The battle had been going on for nearly ten minutes, a terrifyingly long time.

"Come on, Maxie..." Judy whispered, careless of the tears streaming down her face. Max's dad tightened his reassuring grip around her slender shoulders, tears gathering in the corners of his own eyes.

"-and…clear!" The alarm stopped as gently looping waves began to show on the heart monitor. "And we've got us a pulse, ladies and gents!" Judy sprang to her feet, her husband not far behind her. Language barrier or not, the look of utmost relief and pleasure on the faces that they could see meant only one thing.

"He's okay…" Judy whispered, collapsing into her husband's arms with a tearful sigh of relief.

Tyson rubbed his nose absentmindedly from where it had been crushed against the window of Max's room. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, a happy grin on his round, tanned face. His navy eyes danced with joy.

"Way to go, Maxie!" he whispered. The door opened and a doctor came through. His face was shining with sweat, but his expression was happy and relieved. He walked over to Max's parents and began to talk to them, his voice calm and business-like. Tyson hurried over. "Is Max okay?" he demanded anxiously. Both Max's mum (or mom, as the blond called her) and dad smiled weakly and gestured for the doctor to continue. With a somewhat suspicious glance towards Tyson, the man obliged.

Five minutes of medical-speak later, Tyson's patience ran out.

"I can't understand a word you're saying!" he yelled. "Just tell me whether Max is okay!" The three adults exchanged knowing looks.

"Max is going to be fine, Tyson," Judy said soothingly. "Now, have you had anything to eat recently? I know Kenny went off for something to eat a little while ago." Despite his worry, Tyson's face lit up, saliva flooding his mouth at the thought of food. "It _is_ nearly two in the morning, after all. You shouldn't even be awake!" Judy teased. Tyson mock-scowled at her and crossed his arms defiantly.

"I'm not tired!" he protested. "Just hungry…" He blushed as his stomach rumbled loudly.

"Off you go then." Max's dad smiled kindly and handed Tyson a five-pound note. Obediently, Tyson turned on his heel and raced for the hospital canteen.

He ran past Ray's little side-room and the two nurses and a policeman standing in front of it, and made a mental note to come back there later and see what was happening. After the food. And he should probably bring Ray some, too.

True to his friendship, ten minutes of unashamed gorging later, he headed back to Ray's room with a sandwich, a can of drink and a chocolate bar in his arms. Pausing in front of the door and looking inside, he sighed impatiently and leaned against the wall. Great. More stupid interrogations. Well, good luck in getting anything out of Ray. He certainly hadn't had much luck in that department. He scowled, a shadow crossing his face.

Ray lay in the foetal position on the bed, staring determinedly at a spot just to the right of the policeman's head. He was dizzy and faint with exhaustion, having not got a moment's rest since waking up yesterday morning, and his stomach felt physically _hollow_, if that was possible. Of course, if you listened to Tyson, it certainly was. He jumped violently, his eyes flying fully open, wide with shock and fright, as the policeman brought his fist loudly down on the nearest hard surface, which happened be a bedside table only inches from Ray's face.

"For the last time, Ray," the man thundered, clearly at the end of his patience, "What _happened_?" Ray pushed himself upright and glared furiously at the policeman.

"I'm not telling you!" he yelled back. Dizziness swirled through his head and he had to lock both arms straight to make sure that he didn't tumble straight back down again. "Got that? I'm not telling you! Get out!" He picked up the nearest thing to him - his pillow - and flung it ineffectively at the policeman's head.

"Ray, we just-"

"_Get out_!" The policeman retreated hurriedly and Ray fell back onto the bed, curling up again instantly. He shut his eyes and listened to the pounding in his head. His legs throbbed in time with his head, a slow, painful drumbeat that kept him awake despite his intense fatigue.

"Ray?" Tyson's uncertain voice cut sharply through his daze. He shifted and opened one eye.

"What?" he mumbled indistinctly.

"You okay?" Tyson asked. His navy eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions, none of which looked happy. Ray shrugged weakly. "Max's heart stopped."

"_What_?" Ray demanded, staring in shock at Tyson.

"Yeah. He nearly died. Well, technically he did." Fury suddenly suffused Tyson's normally cheerful face, and he reached out and grabbed hold of Ray's wrist. He began to talk, his voice low and choked with tears and rage. "You know what happened to Max, don't you? You know the reason his mum and dad and me just had to watch him get shocked back to life, if you can call a coma life, don't deny it!"

Ray cried out and tried to pull his wrist from Tyson's suddenly vice-like grip. The younger boy simply tightened his hold. His eyes were dark slits in his tanned face. "You're pathetic, do you know that? Kai's involved in this somehow, everyone knows it. You're not answering questions, you're not even defending him! You're just lying here like a little kid! You're fourteen, Ray! You should be up, out there, telling the police why Kai's gone, where he's gone, and why I've had to watch my best friend being reduced to a lifeless shell!" He was shouting wildly, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I don't _want_ to!" Ray screamed back, wrath blazing inside him. "Let _go _of me!" He pulled helplessly, then dug his nails and teeth into Tyson's arm. With a yell, the younger boy released him, staring at him with something approaching fear.

"Coward," he whispered vehemently, cradling his bleeding arm. Ray snarled wordlessly at him from the bed. Both boys stared at each other, trembling with passionate fury. Ray dropped his gaze first. His trembling increased until he was shaking like a leaf. Letting out a shaky breath, he looked up at Tyson, meeting his grief-stricken eyes with an empty gaze.

"Fine," he whispered dully. "Fine, you win. Kai…" A tear slid down his cheek as he relived the terrible event of a few hours ago. "Kai hurt Max."

Tyson was silent. Finally, he wiped his damp face and left the room.

"I'm gonna go get a policeman," he said woodenly from the doorway. "You tell him everying you can think of."

"Okay, Tyson..." Ray sat up and made an effort to pull himself together. Tears were falling rapidly down his face, thwarting all of his efforts to halt them.

* * *

Well? Opinions? If anyone's read Tortured Soul, they'll know I quite like the idea of Tyson and Ray arguing.

Oh yes,in Chapter 4, I asked whether I should include some Tyson/Max in this. Only _one_ person (thank you Hiruka-Rei's-Kitty!) answered! So, take Tyson's rage any way you want, I personally am going to start dropping more hints of this pairing!

Please review, I want a lovely bulging inbox when I get back!


	9. Chapter 9

Well, here comes the next chapter! I'm so, so sorry about the delay, writer's block loves me at the moment! A big thank you to** black-wolf-demon**, **Kai'sgrl**, **Miako6**, **SpottedShadow2947** and **Pheonix's Fire** for reviewing the last chapter!

Please read and enjoy!

* * *

Kai stopped his relentless march suddenly, pain flaring in his chest. The strange, unearthly compulsion that had throbbed through his veins since he had taken Black Dranzer's power into himself warred with a far more basic, human sensation; one that made him shiver at the memory of smooth, golden skin sliding under him, soft, full lips pressed to his, a normally steady gaze hazy as they moved as one. With those memories came the bright, sharp pain of emotions. He hated emotions, they were only for the weak. These emotions however; these did not belong to him. Golden eyes flashed brightly in his mind's eye.

Bitter sadness and badly suppressed longing that bit into him like a knife, reluctant tears, and a black depression hovering just at the edge of everything.

The pain increased, tearing a soft hiss from between unwilling lips. He took a step forwards then one backwards, his heart a white-hot ball of pain pumping conflicting urges around his muscular body. Pressure built, throbbing in his chest, in his temples until the need to make a decision became critical. He took a step backwards, swiftly followed by another, and another.

**_You can come back later_**, he reassured himself. **_There's no harm in putting things off for a while_**. He turned and headed back the way that he had come at a steady jog.

Those strange emotions were bad, they were distracting him. If he could get rid of them, then he would be able to carry on without interruption. **_Ray's hurting. _**He frowned and shook his head. Damn, he was being polluted already. Without his conscious knowledge, he increased his speed until he was sprinting.

**_I must…help Ray… _**The thought was so quiet, so far back in his corrupted mind that it did not register. He ran on, planning how to silence the troublesome thoughts that were being transmitted to him and sate his lust at the same time. A plan started to take shape.

* * *

Voltaire's face was purple with rage.

"How did this happen?" he yelled at the cowering technicians. "We were all agreed that once the first stage was complete, he would lose all human emotion! _What went wrong_?" There was a terrified silence.

"Maybe he is stronger than we first thought, my lord." Boris offered, coming into the room. Voltaire shook his head.

"No, I know my grandson. He will do anything for power."

"Well, he's just turned away from it." Boris muttered under his breath. Voltaire shot him an icy glare.

"Did you say something?" he demanded.

"No, my lord."

"Good. Keep it like that. You," He pointed to a technician, whose face instantly went white. "You get my grandson here. Fast." The trembling man sank lower in his seat.

"H-How-"

"I don't particularly care _how_, just bring him here!" Voltaire snapped.

"Y-Yes, my lord…" The terrified man brought shaking fingers to his computer keyboard and began typing.

* * *

"Ray? Lunch is ready!"

"Not hungry." Kenny poked his head around the door.

"Ray…" He trailed off helplessly as Ray stared at him without expression. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, nervously.

"None of your business." Ray mumbled. Unaccustomed temper rose inside the little computer whiz.

"Yes, it _is_ my business!" he snapped. "You haven't spoken more than a few words to anyone, you've barely been eating, when you're not sleeping you're crying, _what the hell is the matter_?" A faint, weak smile trembled at the corners of Ray's mouth.

"What do you know, you've got some bite after all." He chuckled dryly and huddled deeper under the covers, closing his eyes.

"_RAY_!" Golden eyes flew open in shock and Kenny coughed a couple of times, his throat sore from the scream. "Ray, _please_. You can tell me, can't you?" he begged. The older boy shrugged and shifted position slightly. Sensing a breakthrough, Kenny held his breath.

"Fine…" The word was expelled in a shaky sigh and Ray slowly sat up, tossing his matted, dirty hair out of the way. His eyes were fixed firmly on the duvet in front of him, filled with the raw, heavy sadness that had been there since he had given his testimony to the police two days ago, upon the discovery of the mutilated, scorched corpses in Kai's bedroom. "Kenny, what do you remember about that night?" he asked softly.

"I…um…"

"Specifically about what we were doing when you looked in?" Ray's eyes narrowed. Kenny thought hard, biting his lip. "That night" as they had all taken to calling it, was hopelessly hazy in his memory and trying to find one specific thing was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Suddenly, the image he wanted floated into his mind's eye. Instantly, he blushed bright scarlet. A small, bitterly satisfied smile crept across Ray's face as he raised his head and stared directly into Kenny's embarrassed face. "You remember." It was a statement, not a question, but Kenny nodded anyway.

Ray was beginning to scare him. The Chinese boy's face could have been sculpted from marble, occasional blinking the only movement.

"What would you say we were _doing_, Chief?" Ray said lightly. The answer rushed to the tip of Kenny's tongue and made his blush increase a thousand-fold.

"Having sex?" he whispered. Ray nodded.

"Yeah," He buried his head in his hands for a few seconds then looked up. Whatever light there had been in his eyes was gone, replaced with self-loathing and distress. "I slept with a murderer." Kenny stayed silent. "And do you know what's almost as bad?" _I dread to think_, Kenny thought apprehensively, then hated himself for it.

"What?" he asked, staring at Ray with a kind of horrified fascination.

"If he turned up here, right now, what do you think I would do?"

"Um…yell at him? Hit him? Call him a murderer? Call the police?" Kenny suggested. Each suggestion was met with a slow shake of the head. "What, then?" A tiny, self-hating smile hovered around Ray's mouth.

"Tell him I missed him." the young teenager said shakily. "Tell him to turn himself in before he gets in even worse trouble. And…" He bit nervously at nails that were already a bleeding mess. "Tell him I love him." he whispered. His attractive face crumpled in a mask of self-loathing and grief, his usually bright golden eyes dark. Kenny stood, his mind reeling. One thing was clear; Ray needed help. He could provide a sympathetic ear, but Ray needed much more than that. I'll _talk to him later, once he's calmed down, get him to go to a doctor or something_. Kenny thought sensibly as he stared down at the miserable heap that was one of his best friends.

"You…love him?" he repeated slowly. Ray nodded.

"I know it's stupid, but it just happened. Nothing I can do about it." He attempted a brave smile. The resulting grimace made Kenny wince.

"Well, I need my lunch," he said apologetically, "If you change your mind and feel hungry, just come and get something. Tyson's going to the hospital again after lunch, so you won't have competition." The two boys gave each other strained, equally insincere smiles and Kenny hurried from the room.

Ray lay back down on the bed and rubbed his throbbing legs. If he had heard Kenny's thoughts, he would have laughed. Or tried to. There was nothing wrong with him, he was sure. He was tired and emotional all the time, that was all. It was just the shock at the strange events of the past few days.

He had lost his virginity to a boy who had then proceeded to try and kill two of his friends and succeeded in killing at least four adults, then disappeared completely. Enough to unnerve anyone. All he needed to do was hold on until everything started looking up again. If he hated himself at the moment, well, that was to be expected.

_He was in love with a murderer._

Oh God, who was he kidding? He felt awful. Every tiny bit of him was overflowing with sadness and need for Kai, and it disgusted him. How could he love someone who was clearly evil? He was a disgusting, tainted little lovesick idiot. Consumed by the bleak thoughts racing through his head, Ray shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out Driger. A determined gleam glinted in his dull eyes as he placed the sharp-edged beyblade on his wrist, where he could see the vein pulsing away busily. Unexpectedly, cold air blew through the room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Ray?" a harsh voice from behind him demanded. Ray's head whipped around so fast that he felt his neck click painfully. He stared in shock at the figure crouched in the window.

"Kai?" he whispered. Kai dropped to the floor and started walking towards him with a slow, almost predatory gait. He was deathly white, almost luminescent, his dark-red eyes glowing eerily against their white background. His clothes were creased and ripped in some places. "Kai, w-what are you doing here?" Ray asked, his voice beginning to shake. _I'm hallucinating_, he thought dazedly. "You shouldn't be here…you'll get arrested! You're a murderer!" His voice peaked at a terrified yelp as Kai stopped right next to the bed and stared down at him.

"Who's going to tell?" Kai asked, his voice dispassionate. "You?" In one fluid movement, he bent down and kissed Ray, sliding an arm around him and easing them both into a lying down position. Ray struggled underneath him, fear and anger blazing in his beautiful golden eyes. Kai let out a growl of annoyance as Ray turned his head away and tried to move out from underneath him. Glowing, defiant golden eyes glared furiously at him.

"You deserve everything you get, murderer!" Ray hissed, his top lip drawn up in a snarl. He opened his mouth to yell for help. Acting on instinct, Kai slammed a hand over his mouth, using his entire body weight to pin Ray to the bed. Reaching inside himself, he felt an unholy thrill as he called up the power that resided inside him and spread it throughout his body. **_You will want me, Ray._** he vowed silently. **_If I have to control you to get that, then so be it. _**

With a demonic chuckle, he sent tendrils of black weaving down into Ray's mind. Carefully, he erased the fear, the anger, the outrage, drew them all out of the younger boy's mind and smiled at what was left behind. Need. Bending down, he kissed him again, gently, testing the waters. Ray responded instantly. Kai deepened the kiss and slipped a hand under Ray's top. Ray drew away for an instant, his eyes dazed and confused.

"We shouldn't be doing this…" he whispered uncertainly, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he fought against the hold that Kai had over him. Kai mentally snarled in frustration, but simply lowered his head and kissed him again. "Yes, we should, Ray…" he murmured. Both hands were underneath Ray's top, brushing at the waistband of his trousers and boxers questioningly. "We should." With a soft, shuddering sigh, Ray gave up the battle and surrendered himself to Kai.

The older blader smiled in satisfaction and set to work.

Two hours later, sated, Kai lounged on the bed. A moan caught his attention, and he looked over at Ray, wondering why the boy's cheeks were so flushed. He shrugged. Maybe he was ill. What did he care? Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his stomach. He hissed and doubled up, staggering upright. As he moved towards the window, the pain eased a fraction. Wanting to be rid of this horrible pain that wasn't responding to anything he did, Kai climbed through the window and loped off again in the direction that hurt the least, not even sparing a thought for the boy that he had left behind.

* * *

In my opinion, that chapter was slightly strange, but then, this entire fic has been slightly strange... I don't think I've ever written Ray as so uke before, it's getting on my nerves. I'll write him as more assertive next time.

Please, please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Just so I don't get banned for using a chapter for non-writing purposes;

* * *

Groaning, Ray rolled over and blinked groggily. He hurt all over...why? What had happened? He searched his memory, but that particular part of him seemed no less confused than everything else, fragments of memory floating around in a fog. Suddenly, the fog cleared, just for a second. Just long enough.

_"What the hell do you think you're doing, Ray?" a harsh voice from behind him demanded. Ray's head whipped around so fast that he felt his neck click painfully. He stared in shock at the figure crouched in the window._

_"Kai?" he whispered. Kai dropped to the floor and started walking towards him with a slow, almost predatory gait. He was deathly white, almost luminescent, his dark-red eyes glowing eerily against their white background. His clothes were creased and ripped in some places. "Kai, w-what are you doing here?" Ray asked, his voice beginning to shake. I'm hallucinating, he thought dazedly. "You shouldn't be here…you'll get arrested! You're a murderer!" His voice peaked at a terrified yelp as Kai stopped right next to the bed and stared down at him._

_"Who's going to tell?" Kai asked, his voice dispassionate. "You?" _

"Yes, me!"Ray whispered fiercely. He sat upright, swallowing back nausea and an urge to start crying. Carefully, he moved his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his crutches, biting his lip at the quick, hot burst of pain. Shifting into an upright position, he hobbled out of his room, a new determination taking root.

Tyson yawned and reached unenthusiastically for his half-eaten bacon roll. Feeling someone staring at him, he looked up.

"What is it, Chief?" he asked, biting into the lukewarm roll. Kenny sat down next to him.

"Are you okay, Tyson?" he asked sympathetically. Tyson shrugged and busied himself with eating. "How's Max?" Another shrug.

"No change." Tyson answered at last. "Ray?" His tone held only mild intrest: neither boy had quite forgiven the other yet.

"Yes?" Tyson spun around to face Ray, who was standing in the doorway, a strange, almost excited look on his flushed face. Ray moved further into the room. "Guys, Kai was just here!" he exclaimed. Tyson snorted loudly.

"Yeah, right!"

"He _was_! He came through the window!" Tyson shook his head in disbelief and returned to his bacon roll.

"You're nuts, Ray." he stated matter-of-factly.

"What's your proof?" Kenny asked cautiously. Tyson stared at him in shock.

"You're going along with this?" he demanded.

"Yes." Kenny replied calmly.

* * *

Ok, this was what I wrote before I gave up. As some of you may know, I'm discontinuing this, for want of any kind of idea where it's heading. Sorry, I'm sure a lot of you liked it. I know I did! But alas, 'tis not to be.

I may re-write it in a few months time, around June, as a more psychological fic, at which time I'll simply replace the chaps, but until then and unless you're a follower of anything else I write, bye bye, and be happy! (Cheesy, I know. I like cheese!)

xxx


End file.
